National parks closest to Windham County, VT

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 Windham County. Straight line distance from Windham 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 Windham County, Vermont

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 1,896 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,886 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 1,878 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

4 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,847 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,762 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Windham County, Vermont history

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,759 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,705 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,541 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,519 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,492 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Warmest Decembers in Windham County, Vermont history

Canva

11 / 25

#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,392 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,300 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,279 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,240 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,040 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Windham County, Vermont compares

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 962 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 853 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 814 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

19 / 25

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

- Distance: 770 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Canva

20 / 25

#6. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 769 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

You may also like: Places with the fastest growing home prices in Windham County, VT

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 741 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 561 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 470 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 433 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 244 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 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: 1 in 488 people in Windham County, Vermont are grandparents caring for grandchildren