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 Eau Claire. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Eau Claire, 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 sushi restaurants in the Eau Claire area by diners
SveKo // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 254 miles
- Driving time: 6.5 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 257 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 311 miles
- Driving time: 5.8 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 439 miles
- Driving time: 8.0 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)
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 561 miles
- Driving time: 9.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 600 miles
- Driving time: 11.0 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 602 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 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
9 / 63#9. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 612 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 726 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 758 miles
- Driving time: 14.3 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 791 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 800 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 890 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Eau Claire by diners
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 943 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 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
17 / 63#17. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 952 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 954 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 968 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Arches National Park (Utah)
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,043 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 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. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,069 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,104 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
24 / 63#24. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,127 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,134 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,157 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,158 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,190 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,247 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,250 miles
- Driving time: 23.5 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,252 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,265 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,353 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
You may also like: Best restaurants for 9 cuisines in Eau Claire
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,433 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 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
37 / 63#37. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,463 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,466 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,469 miles
- Driving time: 26.1 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
40 / 63#40. Everglades National Park (Florida)
Varina C // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,477 miles
- Driving time: 28.9 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,517 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 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: 1,526 miles
- Driving time: 35.2 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,534 miles
- Driving time: 29.2 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Yosemite National Park (California)
f11photo // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,541 miles
- Driving time: 27.9 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,545 miles
- Driving time: 34.0 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,559 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,662 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,662 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
You may also like: Are homes selling in Eau Claire in 2026?
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,671 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,122 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
53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,312 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,388 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,595 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: 2,687 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: 2,696 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: 2,772 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)
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,008 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: 4,021 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: 6,402 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
