National parks closest to Young County, TX

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Young County. Straight line distance from Young County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

You may also like: How personal income has changed in Young County, Texas

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 981 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 957 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Canva

3 / 25

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

- Distance: 882 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 863 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 859 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

You may also like: What access to mental health care looks like in Young County, Texas

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 820 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 790 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 789 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 764 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 762 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Young County, Texas with Alzheimer's

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 755 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 721 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 720 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 707 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 649 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Young County, Texas compares

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 630 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

17 / 25

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

- Distance: 630 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 621 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 607 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 504 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Young County, Texas history

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 445 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 379 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 372 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 350 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 336 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

You may also like: Warmest and coldest January in Young County, Texas history