National parks closest to Jim Hogg 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 Jim Hogg County. Straight line distance from Jim Hogg 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 and coldest Februaries in Jim Hogg County, Texas history

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,166 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Canva

2 / 25

#24. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,155 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 1,122 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,114 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,092 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

You may also like: Jim Hogg County, TX monthly unemployment update

Canva

6 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,075 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,068 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,061 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,020 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 1,016 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Jim Hogg County, TX

Manamana // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,006 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Canva

12 / 25

#14. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,002 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

15 / 25

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

- Distance: 949 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 939 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 903 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 852 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 841 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 805 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

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

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 615 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 602 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 499 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 495 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 314 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 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: Jim Hogg County, TX monthly real estate update