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 Seattle. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 44 miles
- Driving time: 2.4 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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2 / 63#2. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 84 miles
- Driving time: 3.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 89 miles
- Driving time: 2.8 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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4 / 63#4. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 315 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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5 / 63#5. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 373 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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6 / 63#6. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 441 miles
- Driving time: 9.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 484 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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8 / 63#8. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 580 miles
- Driving time: 12.5 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 594 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 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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10 / 63#10. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 677 miles
- Driving time: 16.0 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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11 / 63#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 699 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 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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12 / 63#12. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 757 miles
- Driving time: 19.3 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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13 / 63#13. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 761 miles
- Driving time: 14.7 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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14 / 63#14. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 780 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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15 / 63#15. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 818 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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16 / 63#16. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 833 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 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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17 / 63#17. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 838 miles
- Driving time: 16.0 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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18 / 63#18. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 842 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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19 / 63#19. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 864 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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20 / 63#20. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 867 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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21 / 63#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 879 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 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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22 / 63#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 929 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 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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23 / 63#23. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 933 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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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24 / 63#24. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 939 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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25 / 63#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 941 miles
- Driving time: 17.8 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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26 / 63#26. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 944 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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27 / 63#27. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 969 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 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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28 / 63#28. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 984 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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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29 / 63#29. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 985 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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30 / 63#30. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 995 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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31 / 63#31. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,060 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,067 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 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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33 / 63#33. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,209 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 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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34 / 63#34. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,231 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,306 miles
- Driving time: 25.1 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,336 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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37 / 63#37. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,398 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 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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38 / 63#38. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,398 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 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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39 / 63#39. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,411 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,538 miles
- Driving time: 29.3 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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41 / 63#41. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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42 / 63#42. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,557 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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43 / 63#43. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,558 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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44 / 63#44. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,604 miles
- Driving time: 31.6 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,700 miles
- Driving time: 29.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,736 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,748 miles
- Driving time: 30.1 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,786 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
49 / 63#49. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,912 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,943 miles
- Driving time: 34.8 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,018 miles
- Driving time: 34.6 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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52 / 63#52. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,119 miles
- Driving time: 38.1 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,144 miles
- Driving time: 38.3 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,256 miles
- Driving time: 41.2 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,323 miles
- Driving time: 41.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,542 miles
- Driving time: 49.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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57 / 63#57. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,648 miles
- Driving time: 51.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,660 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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59 / 63#59. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,695 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,699 miles
- Driving time: 49.5 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,720 miles
- Driving time: 48.5 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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62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,771 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,209 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
