Approximately 323 million people visited American national parks in 2025, a 2.7% year-over-year decrease and the first annual decline since 2020.
President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the act creating the National Park Service to leave natural and historic phenomenons "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and showcase the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage. Today, the country's 63 national parks contain at least 247 species of endangered or threatened plants and animals, more than 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails.
Stacker compiled a list of the closest national parks to Odessa. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Odessa, TX Metro Area and each national park. Estimated driving times are from Here and are only available within the lower 48 states. All featured distances and driving times are estimated using representative locations from the center of each metro and national park—for some places within the metro area, the actual distance may be slightly shorter or longer to reach the closest entryway to a park.
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1 / 63#1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 113 miles
- Driving time: 2.9 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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2 / 63#2. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 137 miles
- Driving time: 4.0 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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3 / 63#3. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 185 miles
- Driving time: 4.8 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 221 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 438 miles
- Driving time: 9.6 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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6 / 63#6. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 468 miles
- Driving time: 8.9 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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7 / 63#7. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 473 miles
- Driving time: 9.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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8 / 63#8. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 499 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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9 / 63#9. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 547 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 579 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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11 / 63#11. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 605 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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12 / 63#12. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 612 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 615 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 622 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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15 / 63#15. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 655 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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16 / 63#16. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 674 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 706 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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18 / 63#18. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 788 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 809 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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20 / 63#20. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 820 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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21 / 63#21. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 824 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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22 / 63#22. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 839 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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23 / 63#23. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 872 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 934 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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25 / 63#25. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 975 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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26 / 63#26. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 975 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 978 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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28 / 63#28. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 991 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,005 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,043 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,046 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,090 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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33 / 63#33. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,111 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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34 / 63#34. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,123 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,212 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,254 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,271 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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38 / 63#38. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,287 miles
- Driving time: 21.9 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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39 / 63#39. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,296 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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40 / 63#40. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,312 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,314 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,330 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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43 / 63#43. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,339 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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44 / 63#44. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,354 miles
- Driving time: 29.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,386 miles
- Driving time: 26.1 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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46 / 63#46. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,426 miles
- Driving time: 25.1 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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47 / 63#47. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,439 miles
- Driving time: 24.1 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,451 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,515 miles
- Driving time: 31.2 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,563 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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51 / 63#51. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,040 miles
- Driving time: 36.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,442 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,530 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,682 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,886 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,000 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,031 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,038 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,198 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,339 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,363 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,381 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,512 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
