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 Savannah. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Savannah, GA 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. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 119 miles
- Driving time: 2.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
#2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 278 miles
- Driving time: 6.6 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
#3. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 411 miles
- Driving time: 7.3 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
#4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 445 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
#5. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 451 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
#6. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 468 miles
- Driving time: 8.4 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
#7. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 472 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
#8. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 524 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 630 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 674 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
#11. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 701 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
#12. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 731 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
#13. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,101 miles
- Driving time: 21.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
#14. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,167 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,283 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
#16. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,321 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
#17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,356 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
#18. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,383 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
#19. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,401 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
#20. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,404 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,425 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,442 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
#23. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,452 miles
- Driving time: 24.8 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
#24. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,467 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,553 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
#26. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,557 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,584 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
#28. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,651 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
#29. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,653 miles
- Driving time: 29.3 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
#30. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,669 miles
- Driving time: 34.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,707 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,736 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
#33. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,783 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
#34. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,788 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
#35. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,788 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
#36. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,792 miles
- Driving time: 32.1 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,835 miles
- Driving time: 33.4 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,909 miles
- Driving time: 33.4 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
#39. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,006 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,045 miles
- Driving time: 34.0 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
#41. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 2,049 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,139 miles
- Driving time: 40.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,148 miles
- Driving time: 39.6 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,189 miles
- Driving time: 39.7 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,205 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,285 miles
- Driving time: 38.2 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,298 miles
- Driving time: 40.9 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,338 miles
- Driving time: 42.3 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
#49. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,357 miles
- Driving time: 41.9 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
#50. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,360 miles
- Driving time: 44.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,429 miles
- Driving time: 45.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,453 miles
- Driving time: 45.5 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,140 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,340 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,596 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,629 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,722 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,723 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,790 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,880 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,607 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,621 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,704 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
