Approximately 331 million people visited American national parks in 2024, representing a 2% year-over-year growth and the fourth straight year of growth.
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 Norfolk. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 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. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 158 miles
- Driving time: 3.5 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2024 visitors: 1,720,211 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 200,445.92 acres
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2 / 63#2. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 269 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2024 visitors: 1,811,937 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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3 / 63#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 321 miles
- Driving time: 6.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2024 visitors: 242,049 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,692.60 acres
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4 / 63#4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 403 miles
- Driving time: 8.4 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2024 visitors: 12,191,834 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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5 / 63#5. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
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6 / 63#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 534 miles
- Driving time: 10.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2024 visitors: 747,042 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 72,472.87 acres
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7 / 63#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 659 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2024 visitors: 2,705,209 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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8 / 63#8. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 677 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2024 visitors: 3,961,661 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,071.40 acres
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9 / 63#9. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 762 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018
- 2024 visitors: 2,563,052 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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10 / 63#10. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
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11 / 63#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 834 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2024 visitors: 741,983 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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12 / 63#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 921 miles
- Driving time: 17.7 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2024 visitors: 84,873 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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13 / 63#13. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 946 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2024 visitors: 2,461,812 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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14 / 63#14. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 993 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2024 visitors: 28,806 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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15 / 63#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,158 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2024 visitors: 199,030 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,450 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2024 visitors: 1,094,245 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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17 / 63#17. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,458 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2024 visitors: 423,029 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.33 acres
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18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,497 miles
- Driving time: 27.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2024 visitors: 489,399 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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19 / 63#19. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Driving time: 28.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2024 visitors: 732,951 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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20 / 63#20. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
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21 / 63#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,597 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2024 visitors: 437,661 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,345.73 acres
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22 / 63#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,623 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2024 visitors: 460,474 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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23 / 63#23. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,634 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2024 visitors: 561,458 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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24 / 63#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,653 miles
- Driving time: 29.1 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2024 visitors: 226,134 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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25 / 63#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
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26 / 63#26. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,710 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2024 visitors: 335,862 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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27 / 63#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,764 miles
- Driving time: 32.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2024 visitors: 480,065 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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28 / 63#28. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,809 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2024 visitors: 1,466,528 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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29 / 63#29. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,832 miles
- Driving time: 38.1 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2024 visitors: 818,492 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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30 / 63#30. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
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31 / 63#31. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,863 miles
- Driving time: 32.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2024 visitors: 3,628,222 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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32 / 63#32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,863 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2024 visitors: 559,254 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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33 / 63#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,899 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2024 visitors: 1,422,490 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,957 miles
- Driving time: 33.9 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2024 visitors: 946,369 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,876.75 acres
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35 / 63#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
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36 / 63#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,978 miles
- Driving time: 34.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2024 visitors: 4,919,163 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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37 / 63#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,010 miles
- Driving time: 35.1 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2024 visitors: 4,946,592 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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38 / 63#38. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 2,054 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2024 visitors: 3,208,755 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,126.39 acres
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39 / 63#39. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,059 miles
- Driving time: 35.2 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2024 visitors: 152,068 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,224 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2024 visitors: 2,991,874 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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41 / 63#41. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,230 miles
- Driving time: 38.3 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2024 visitors: 1,440,484 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,395.63 acres
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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,315 miles
- Driving time: 45.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2024 visitors: 699,389 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,328 miles
- Driving time: 44.0 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2024 visitors: 1,309,573 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,351 miles
- Driving time: 44.2 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2024 visitors: 4,121,807 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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45 / 63#45. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
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46 / 63#46. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,402 miles
- Driving time: 44.0 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2024 visitors: 1,620,006 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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47 / 63#47. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,413 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 262,581 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,424 miles
- Driving time: 42.8 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2024 visitors: 357,651 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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49 / 63#49. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,433 miles
- Driving time: 44.1 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2024 visitors: 504,942 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
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51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,485 miles
- Driving time: 46.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2024 visitors: 3,717,267 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,544 miles
- Driving time: 47.2 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2024 visitors: 622,883 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,063 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 736,282 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,240 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 81,670 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,507 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2024 visitors: 466,227 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,561 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 11,907 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,623 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 18,505 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,710 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2024 visitors: 36,230 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,826 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2024 visitors: 1,433,593 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 344,812.18 acres
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62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,829 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2024 visitors: 732,477 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,488.98 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 7,034 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2024 visitors: 22,567 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
