National parks closest to Hunt 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 Hunt County. Straight line distance from Hunt 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: Hunt County, TX monthly unemployment update

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 976 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 958 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 935 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 922 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

5 / 25

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

- Distance: 910 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

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

Canva

6 / 25

#20. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 886 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 857 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 851 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 849 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 824 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

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

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 806 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 796 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 767 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 755 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

15 / 25

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

- Distance: 753 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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

Canva

16 / 25

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

- Distance: 738 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 729 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 629 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 625 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 596 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

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

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 520 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 503 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 498 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 498 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 199 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: How gas prices have changed in Hunt County, Texas in the last week