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 Wenatchee. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Wenatchee, 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. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 77 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 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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2 / 63#2. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 94 miles
- Driving time: 4.7 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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3 / 63#3. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 151 miles
- Driving time: 6.3 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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4 / 63#4. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 298 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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5 / 63#5. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
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6 / 63#6. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 483 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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7 / 63#7. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 506 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 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: 517 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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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9 / 63#9. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 536 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 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. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
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11 / 63#11. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 687 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 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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12 / 63#12. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 762 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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: 780 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 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: 787 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 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. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 790 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 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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16 / 63#16. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 804 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 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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17 / 63#17. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 810 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 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. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 815 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 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. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 815 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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20 / 63#20. Arches National Park (Utah)
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21 / 63#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 841 miles
- Driving time: 21.3 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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22 / 63#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 861 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 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. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 888 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 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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24 / 63#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 895 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 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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25 / 63#25. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 900 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 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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26 / 63#26. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 909 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 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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27 / 63#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 944 miles
- Driving time: 18.7 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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28 / 63#28. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 950 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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29 / 63#29. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 991 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 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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30 / 63#30. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,012 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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31 / 63#31. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,018 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 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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32 / 63#32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,030 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 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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33 / 63#33. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,187 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 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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34 / 63#34. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,256 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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35 / 63#35. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,261 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 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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36 / 63#36. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,270 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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37 / 63#37. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,360 miles
- Driving time: 26.9 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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38 / 63#38. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,361 miles
- Driving time: 27.9 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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39 / 63#39. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,447 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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40 / 63#40. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,462 miles
- Driving time: 28.9 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. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,568 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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42 / 63#42. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,575 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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43 / 63#43. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,594 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. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,599 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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45 / 63#45. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
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46 / 63#46. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,675 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 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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47 / 63#47. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,675 miles
- Driving time: 32.4 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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48 / 63#48. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,803 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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49 / 63#49. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,874 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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50 / 63#50. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
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51 / 63#51. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,944 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 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: 2,050 miles
- Driving time: 37.7 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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53 / 63#53. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,072 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 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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54 / 63#54. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,183 miles
- Driving time: 40.8 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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55 / 63#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
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56 / 63#56. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,467 miles
- Driving time: 49.2 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: 2,589 miles
- Driving time: 51.1 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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58 / 63#58. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,637 miles
- Driving time: 49.2 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
59 / 63#59. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,658 miles
- Driving time: 48.2 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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60 / 63#60. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,732 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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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,766 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,704 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: 5,277 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
