National parks closest to Hale 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 Hale County. Straight line distance from Hale 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: Warmest Decembers in Hale County, Texas history

Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 880 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 863 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 824 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 804 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 769 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Hale County, Texas history

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 720 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 668 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 664 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 662 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 630 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

You may also like: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Hale County, Texas

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 601 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 599 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 538 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 534 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 533 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

You may also like: 1 in 90 people in Hale County, Texas are grandparents caring for grandchildren

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 502 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 483 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 459 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

19 / 25

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

- Distance: 453 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 433 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

You may also like: Places with the fastest growing home prices in Hale County, TX

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 339 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 332 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 275 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 231 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 207 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 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: Hale County, TX monthly real estate update