National parks closest to Falls County, TX

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Falls County. Straight line distance from Falls County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

You may also like: Falls County, TX monthly real estate update

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,009 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 973 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Canva

3 / 25

#23. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 972 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Canva

4 / 25

#22. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 960 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 946 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest January in Falls County, Texas history

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 934 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 922 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 910 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 900 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 882 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

You may also like: Falls County, TX monthly unemployment update

Manamana // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 879 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Canva

12 / 25

#14. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 831 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 816 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 797 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 793 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Falls County, Texas in the last week

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 788 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 777 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 741 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 668 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 636 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Falls County, TX since 1895

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 562 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 471 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 453 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 400 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 319 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

You may also like: 1 in 70 people in Falls County, Texas are grandparents caring for grandchildren