Closest national parks to Johnson City

Written by:
July 17, 2026
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

Closest national parks to Johnson City

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 Johnson City. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Johnson City, TN 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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ZakZeinert // Shutterstock

#1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 78 miles
- Driving time: 2.1 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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Steve Heap // Shutterstock

#2. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 142 miles
- Driving time: 3.2 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 193 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 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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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 218 miles
- Driving time: 5.3 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. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 269 miles
- Driving time: 5.4 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 346 miles
- Driving time: 7.1 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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Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 450 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 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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Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#8. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 462 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 617 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 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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Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock

#10. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 743 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 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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#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 759 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 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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#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 802 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 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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SveKo // Shutterstock

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 876 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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#14. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 929 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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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#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 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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#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,184 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,227 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 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. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,283 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 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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Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,291 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 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. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,294 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 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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#21. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,307 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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#22. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,313 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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#23. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,323 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 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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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#24. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,377 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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SL-Photography // Shutterstock

#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,401 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 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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#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,449 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 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. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,501 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 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. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,522 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 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. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,541 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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#30. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 1,583 miles
- Driving time: 29.2 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#31. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 1,587 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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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#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,589 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 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. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,630 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 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. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,637 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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#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,648 miles
- Driving time: 30.0 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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#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,660 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 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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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#37. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,698 miles
- Driving time: 30.5 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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#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 1,754 miles
- Driving time: 30.6 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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#39. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 1,815 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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#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 1,902 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 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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#41. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 1,916 miles
- Driving time: 32.2 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,003 miles
- Driving time: 38.7 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. Sequoia National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,015 miles
- Driving time: 37.8 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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#44. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,044 miles
- Driving time: 37.8 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. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,093 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,129 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 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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#47. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,134 miles
- Driving time: 41.5 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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#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,143 miles
- Driving time: 39.2 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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#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,150 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 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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#50. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 2,151 miles
- Driving time: 39.4 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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f11photo // Shutterstock

#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,233 miles
- Driving time: 42.3 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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#52. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,254 miles
- Driving time: 42.9 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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Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock

#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 2,879 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. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,072 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. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,331 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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#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,355 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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#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,440 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. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,456 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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#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,529 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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BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,598 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 4,508 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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MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock

#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 4,513 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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Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock

#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)

- Distance: 6,705 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres

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