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 Appleton. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Appleton, WI 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Appleton by diners
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 194 miles
- Driving time: 4.1 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 263 miles
- Driving time: 5.3 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 362 miles
- Driving time: 8.0 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 402 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 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
5 / 63#5. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 406 miles
- Driving time: 8.6 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
You may also like: Coat drives near Appleton
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 505 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 573 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 647 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 654 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 704 miles
- Driving time: 11.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
You may also like: The most expensive neighborhoods in Appleton
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 719 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 752 miles
- Driving time: 12.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 754 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 831 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 919 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
You may also like: Are home prices going down in Appleton in 2026?
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 997 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,001 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,076 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,091 miles
- Driving time: 20.0 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
20 / 63#20. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,160 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,162 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,195 miles
- Driving time: 27.3 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,205 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,235 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
You may also like: Are home prices going up in Appleton in 2026?
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,244 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,254 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,255 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,301 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,321 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Appleton
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,324 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,367 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,373 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,374 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,375 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Appleton
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,385 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,390 miles
- Driving time: 27.3 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,454 miles
- Driving time: 28.3 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,582 miles
- Driving time: 30.1 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,616 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,638 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,659 miles
- Driving time: 36.7 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,675 miles
- Driving time: 34.6 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,678 miles
- Driving time: 35.5 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
You may also like: The highest-value homes in Appleton
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,682 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,691 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 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
48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,704 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,798 miles
- Driving time: 34.1 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Channel Islands National Park (California)
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,808 miles
- Driving time: 36.0 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,253 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,257 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,443 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,720 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: 2,801 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,826 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: 2,906 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)
- Distance: 2,959 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Appleton
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,151 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,162 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,527 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
