National parks closest to Franklin County, VT

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 Franklin County. Straight line distance from Franklin 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: Hottest months in Franklin County, VT since 1895

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,910 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,887 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 1,857 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

4 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,837 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 1,836 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

You may also like: Warmest Decembers in Franklin County, Vermont history

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,755 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,689 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,510 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Canva

9 / 25

#17. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,503 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,468 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Franklin County, Vermont with Alzheimer's

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,461 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,415 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,396 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,284 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 989 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

You may also like: Franklin County, VT monthly unemployment update

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 977 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 870 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 868 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

19 / 25

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

- Distance: 848 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Canva

20 / 25

#6. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 789 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

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

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 749 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 639 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 525 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 504 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 232 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 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 Franklin County, Vermont in the last week