National parks closest to Houston 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 Houston County. Straight line distance from Houston 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: How personal income has changed in Houston County, Texas

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,013 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Canva

2 / 25

#24. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,008 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 975 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 952 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 950 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

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

Manamana // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 949 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 936 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 936 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 904 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Canva

10 / 25

#16. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 894 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

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

Canva

11 / 25

#15. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 872 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 869 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

13 / 25

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

- Distance: 858 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 849 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 848 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

You may also like: How Houston County, Texas' GDP has changed since 2018

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 848 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Canva

17 / 25

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

- Distance: 748 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 731 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 668 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 648 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

You may also like: National parks closest to Houston County, TX

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 584 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 559 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 540 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 487 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 260 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: Houston County, TX monthly real estate update