Closest national parks to Olympia

Written by:
July 17, 2026
Pung // Shutterstock

Closest national parks to Olympia

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 Olympia. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 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.

1 / 63
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

#1. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 51 miles
- Driving time: 2.4 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
2 / 63
f11photo // Shutterstock

#2. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 78 miles
- Driving time: 3.5 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
3 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 144 miles
- Driving time: 3.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
4 / 63
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

#4. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 278 miles
- Driving time: 6.6 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
5 / 63
Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#5. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 393 miles
- Driving time: 8.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
6 / 63
Pung // Shutterstock

#6. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 430 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
7 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#7. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 450 miles
- Driving time: 10.6 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
8 / 63
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 617 miles
- Driving time: 14.0 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
9 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#9. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 626 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
10 / 63
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

#10. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 651 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
11 / 63
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 698 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
12 / 63
Yhelfman // Shutterstock

#12. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 727 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
13 / 63
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock

#13. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 733 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
14 / 63
Virrage Images // Shutterstock

#14. Sequoia National Park (California)

- Distance: 756 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
15 / 63
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

#15. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 801 miles
- Driving time: 17.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
16 / 63
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#16. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 832 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
17 / 63
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

#17. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 845 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
18 / 63
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

#18. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 845 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
19 / 63
Manamana // Shutterstock

#19. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 880 miles
- Driving time: 17.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
20 / 63
Manamana // Shutterstock

#20. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 890 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
21 / 63
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock

#21. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 910 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
22 / 63
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

#22. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 914 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
23 / 63
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#23. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 931 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
24 / 63
SL-Photography // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 959 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
25 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#25. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 969 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
26 / 63
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

#26. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 972 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
27 / 63
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

#27. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 977 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
28 / 63
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock

#28. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 992 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
29 / 63
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

#29. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 996 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
30 / 63
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

#30. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,011 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
31 / 63
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

#31. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,063 miles
- Driving time: 21.9 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
32 / 63
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

#32. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,087 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
33 / 63
kojihirano // Shutterstock

#33. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,205 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
34 / 63
Martin Capek // Shutterstock

#34. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,238 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
35 / 63
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#35. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,313 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
36 / 63
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#36. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,392 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
37 / 63
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

#37. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,406 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
38 / 63
Doug Meek // Shutterstock

#38. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,408 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
39 / 63
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock

#39. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,409 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
40 / 63
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock

#40. Katmai National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
41 / 63
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock

#41. Denali National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,554 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
42 / 63
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock

#42. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,557 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
43 / 63
SveKo // Shutterstock

#43. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,593 miles
- Driving time: 30.7 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
44 / 63
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

#44. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,611 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
45 / 63
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#45. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 1,741 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
46 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#46. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,768 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
47 / 63
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#47. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 1,795 miles
- Driving time: 31.6 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
48 / 63
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#48. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,799 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
49 / 63
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#49. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 1,922 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
50 / 63
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#50. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 1,984 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
51 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#51. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 2,067 miles
- Driving time: 36.1 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
52 / 63
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 2,160 miles
- Driving time: 39.6 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
53 / 63
Steve Heap // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 2,190 miles
- Driving time: 39.8 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
54 / 63
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

#54. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 2,303 miles
- Driving time: 42.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
55 / 63
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 2,364 miles
- Driving time: 43.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
56 / 63
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

#56. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 2,598 miles
- Driving time: 50.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
57 / 63
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock

#57. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 2,599 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
58 / 63
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock

#58. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 2,635 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
59 / 63
Varina C // Shutterstock

#59. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 2,677 miles
- Driving time: 52.8 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
60 / 63
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

#60. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 2,730 miles
- Driving time: 51.0 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
61 / 63
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock

#61. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 2,753 miles
- Driving time: 49.9 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
62 / 63
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 3,810 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
63 / 63
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 5,148 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres

Trending Now