National parks closest to Jasper 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 Jasper County. Straight line distance from Jasper 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: National parks closest to Jasper County, TX

Manamana // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,040 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 1,032 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,024 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,005 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 1,004 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

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

kojihirano // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 992 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 961 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

8 / 25

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

- Distance: 947 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 940 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 932 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

You may also like: What access to mental health care looks like in Jasper County, Texas

Canva

11 / 25

#15. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 917 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

12 / 25

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

- Distance: 890 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 883 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 844 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 820 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

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

Canva

16 / 25

#10. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 804 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 802 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 738 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Canva

19 / 25

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

- Distance: 694 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 647 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

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

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 634 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 629 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 585 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 561 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 266 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 Jasper County, Texas in the last week