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 Huntington. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 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. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 83 miles
- Driving time: 2.0 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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2 / 63#2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 196 miles
- Driving time: 5.3 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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3 / 63#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 202 miles
- Driving time: 4.2 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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4 / 63#4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 212 miles
- Driving time: 4.0 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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5 / 63#5. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 227 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 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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6 / 63#6. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 328 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 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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7 / 63#7. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 334 miles
- Driving time: 7.3 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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8 / 63#8. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 415 miles
- Driving time: 6.8 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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9 / 63#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 643 miles
- Driving time: 10.9 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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10 / 63#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
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11 / 63#11. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 849 miles
- Driving time: 17.8 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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12 / 63#12. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 868 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 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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13 / 63#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 891 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 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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14 / 63#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 907 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 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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15 / 63#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 949 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 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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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,102 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 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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17 / 63#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,148 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 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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18 / 63#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,212 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 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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19 / 63#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,237 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 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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20 / 63#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
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21 / 63#21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,306 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 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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22 / 63#22. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,337 miles
- Driving time: 23.5 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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23 / 63#23. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,344 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 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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24 / 63#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,361 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 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. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,381 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 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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26 / 63#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,418 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 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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27 / 63#27. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,459 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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28 / 63#28. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,483 miles
- Driving time: 31.6 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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29 / 63#29. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,504 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 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
30 / 63#30. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,513 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 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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31 / 63#31. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,523 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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32 / 63#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,550 miles
- Driving time: 26.0 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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33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,612 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 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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34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,629 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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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35 / 63#35. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
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36 / 63#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,662 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 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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37 / 63#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,708 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 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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38 / 63#38. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,718 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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39 / 63#39. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,750 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,883 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 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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41 / 63#41. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,883 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 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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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,966 miles
- Driving time: 39.7 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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43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,980 miles
- Driving time: 38.4 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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44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,001 miles
- Driving time: 38.5 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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45 / 63#45. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
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46 / 63#46. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,058 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 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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47 / 63#47. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,069 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,072 miles
- Driving time: 36.1 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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49 / 63#49. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,082 miles
- Driving time: 36.9 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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50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
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51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,143 miles
- Driving time: 39.4 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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52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,193 miles
- Driving time: 40.4 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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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,760 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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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,948 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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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,227 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,304 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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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,332 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
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,409 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
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,481 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: 4,481 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: 6,725 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
