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 El Paso. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in El Paso, TX 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. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 47 miles
- Driving time: 2.0 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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2 / 63#2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 77 miles
- Driving time: 2.1 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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3 / 63#3. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 94 miles
- Driving time: 3.3 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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4 / 63#4. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 207 miles
- Driving time: 5.9 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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5 / 63#5. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
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6 / 63#6. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 347 miles
- Driving time: 8.4 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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7 / 63#7. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 425 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 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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8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 428 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 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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9 / 63#9. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 492 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 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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10 / 63#10. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
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11 / 63#11. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 524 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 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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12 / 63#12. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 544 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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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13 / 63#13. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 561 miles
- Driving time: 14.2 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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14 / 63#14. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 563 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 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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15 / 63#15. Zion National Park (Utah)
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16 / 63#16. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 612 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 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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17 / 63#17. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 624 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 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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18 / 63#18. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 714 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 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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19 / 63#19. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 725 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 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. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 752 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 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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21 / 63#21. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 826 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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22 / 63#22. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 827 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 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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23 / 63#23. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 829 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 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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24 / 63#24. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 838 miles
- Driving time: 16.4 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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25 / 63#25. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
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26 / 63#26. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 889 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 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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27 / 63#27. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 905 miles
- Driving time: 20.1 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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28 / 63#28. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 941 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 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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29 / 63#29. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 959 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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30 / 63#30. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
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31 / 63#31. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,071 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 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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32 / 63#32. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,085 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 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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33 / 63#33. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,174 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 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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34 / 63#34. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,202 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 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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35 / 63#35. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,227 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 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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36 / 63#36. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,238 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 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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37 / 63#37. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,272 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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38 / 63#38. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,297 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 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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39 / 63#39. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,345 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 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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40 / 63#40. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
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41 / 63#41. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,441 miles
- Driving time: 29.6 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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42 / 63#42. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,447 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 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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43 / 63#43. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,450 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 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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44 / 63#44. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,456 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 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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45 / 63#45. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,459 miles
- Driving time: 31.2 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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46 / 63#46. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,477 miles
- Driving time: 30.2 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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47 / 63#47. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,488 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 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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48 / 63#48. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,553 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 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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49 / 63#49. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,594 miles
- Driving time: 28.3 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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50 / 63#50. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
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51 / 63#51. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,198 miles
- Driving time: 40.0 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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52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,375 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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53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,617 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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54 / 63#54. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,698 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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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,809 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 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,936 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 / 63#57. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,953 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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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,956 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 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,149 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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60 / 63#60. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
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61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,206 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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62 / 63#62. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,286 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,343 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
