Closest national parks to Gadsden
Published 1:42 pm Monday, January 31, 2022
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
Closest national parks to Gadsden
Approximately 237 million people visited American national parks in 2020, representing a 28% year-over-year decrease attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. Many parks were forced to close to combat the spread of the virus, but that’s not the whole story—when the parks were open, many of them saw record crowds as throngs of people desperate to safely enjoy nature descended onto parks when they reopened.
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 Gadsden. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Gadsden, AL 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.
Be sure to check with individual parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
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Aviator31 // Wikimedia Commons
#1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
– Distance: 181 miles
– Driving time: 3.9 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 12,095,720 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
#2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
– Distance: 216 miles
– Driving time: 4.4 hours
– Date founded: July 1, 1941
– 2020 visitors: 290,392 (#41 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Jtmartin57 // Wikimedia Commons
#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
– Distance: 302 miles
– Driving time: 6.0 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 2003
– 2020 visitors: 119,306 (#51 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
#4. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
– Distance: 392 miles
– Driving time: 7.5 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
– 2020 visitors: 486,021 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
#5. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
– Distance: 392 miles
– Driving time: 7.1 hours
– Date founded: December 27, 2020
– 2020 visitors: 1,054,374 (#19 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,021 acres
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#6. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
– Distance: 403 miles
– Driving time: 7.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2020 visitors: 1,348,215 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
– Distance: 527 miles
– Driving time: 9.8 hours
– Date founded: February 15, 2019
– 2020 visitors: 2,293,106 (#11 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
#8. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
– Distance: 528 miles
– Driving time: 9.3 hours
– Date founded: December 26, 1935
– 2020 visitors: 1,666,265 (#14 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
– Distance: 553 miles
– Driving time: 10.2 hours
– Date founded: October 11, 2000
– 2020 visitors: 2,755,628 (#7 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
#10. Everglades National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 675 miles
– Driving time: 13.1 hours
– Date founded: May 30, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 702,319 (#25 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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U.S. National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons
#11. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 676 miles
– Driving time: 15.2 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2020 visitors: 48,543 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres
NPS // Wikimedia Commons
#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 680 miles
– Driving time: 12.2 hours
– Date founded: June 28, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 402,770 (#36 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 172,971.11 acres
MDuchek // Wikimedia Commons
#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
– Distance: 978 miles
– Driving time: 18.6 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 6,493 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
– Distance: 1,058 miles
– Driving time: 19.6 hours
– Date founded: April 8, 1975
– 2020 visitors: 263,091 (#44 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
#15. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 1,066 miles
– Driving time: 21.5 hours
– Date founded: June 12, 1944
– 2020 visitors: 393,907 (#37 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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#16. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 1,074 miles
– Driving time: 18.0 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2020 visitors: 183,835 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
#17. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 1,102 miles
– Driving time: 19.1 hours
– Date founded: October 15, 1966
– 2020 visitors: 151,256 (#49 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
#18. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 1,108 miles
– Driving time: 20.9 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 916,932 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
#19. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 1,120 miles
– Driving time: 20.3 hours
– Date founded: September 24, 2004
– 2020 visitors: 461,532 (#32 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#20. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 1,144 miles
– Driving time: 22.0 hours
– Date founded: January 9, 1903
– 2020 visitors: 448,405 (#33 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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#21. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 1,160 miles
– Driving time: 21.0 hours
– Date founded: January 26, 1915
– 2020 visitors: 3,305,199 (#4 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#22. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 1,165 miles
– Driving time: 20.2 hours
– Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
– 2020 visitors: 415,383 (#34 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
#23. Acadia National Park (Maine)
– Distance: 1,187 miles
– Driving time: 22.7 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,669,034 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,076.63 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 1,246 miles
– Driving time: 24.0 hours
– Date founded: October 21, 1999
– 2020 visitors: 341,620 (#39 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
#25. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
– Distance: 1,274 miles
– Driving time: 24.2 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 551,303 (#28 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 1,279 miles
– Driving time: 23.4 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1906
– 2020 visitors: 287,477 (#42 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
#27. Arches National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 1,347 miles
– Driving time: 25.2 hours
– Date founded: November 12, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 1,238,083 (#17 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
#28. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 1,353 miles
– Driving time: 21.6 hours
– Date founded: December 9, 1962
– 2020 visitors: 384,483 (#38 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
#29. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 1,363 miles
– Driving time: 30.0 hours
– Date founded: September 12, 1964
– 2020 visitors: 493,914 (#30 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 337,597.83 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
#30. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 1,420 miles
– Driving time: 24.0 hours
– Date founded: October 14, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 762,226 (#24 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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#31. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 1,430 miles
– Driving time: 26.8 hours
– Date founded: December 18, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 981,038 (#20 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#32. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 1,482 miles
– Driving time: 25.2 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,897,098 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 1,483 miles
– Driving time: 28.7 hours
– Date founded: February 25, 1928
– 2020 visitors: 1,464,655 (#15 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#34. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
– Distance: 1,485 miles
– Driving time: 26.9 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2020 visitors: 3,289,638 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
#35. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
– Distance: 1,491 miles
– Driving time: 27.9 hours
– Date founded: March 1, 1872
– 2020 visitors: 3,806,306 (#2 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 1,531 miles
– Driving time: 28.7 hours
– Date founded: November 19, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 3,591,254 (#3 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 1,603 miles
– Driving time: 29.7 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2020 visitors: 120,248 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
#38. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
– Distance: 1,703 miles
– Date founded: August 2, 1956
– 2020 visitors: 167,540 (#46 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
#39. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,710 miles
– Driving time: 28.9 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 2,399,542 (#10 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 1,742 miles
– Driving time: 29.4 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 820,023 (#22 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
#41. Glacier National Park (Montana)
– Distance: 1,758 miles
– Date founded: May 11, 1910
– 2020 visitors: 1,698,864 (#13 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,836 miles
– Driving time: 36.0 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 415,077 (#35 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,845 miles
– Driving time: 35.1 hours
– Date founded: September 25, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 796,086 (#23 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,884 miles
– Driving time: 35.0 hours
– Date founded: October 1, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 2,268,313 (#12 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,907 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 167,290 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,982 miles
– Driving time: 33.6 hours
– Date founded: January 10, 2013
– 2020 visitors: 165,740 (#48 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
– Distance: 1,991 miles
– Driving time: 36.7 hours
– Date founded: August 9, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 542,274 (#29 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
– Distance: 2,031 miles
– Driving time: 37.6 hours
– Date founded: May 22, 1902
– 2020 visitors: 670,500 (#26 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
#49. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 2,056 miles
– Driving time: 37.9 hours
– Date founded: March 2, 1899
– 2020 visitors: 1,160,754 (#18 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 236,381.64 acres
National Park Service/Deby Dixon // Wikimedia Commons
#50. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 2,063 miles
– Driving time: 40.0 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 30,885 (#56 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
#51. Redwood National Park (California)
– Distance: 2,122 miles
– Driving time: 41.1 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 265,177 (#43 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 138,999.37 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 2,153 miles
– Driving time: 41.0 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1938
– 2020 visitors: 2,499,177 (#9 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Alan Wu // Wikimedia Commons
#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,866 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 5,748 (#60 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Sewtex // Wikimedia Commons
#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,073 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 16,655 (#57 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,323 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 115,882 (#52 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Denali National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,368 miles
– Date founded: February 26, 1917
– 2020 visitors: 54,850 (#53 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Ryjil Christianson // Wikimedia Commons
#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,454 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 4,948 (#61 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,479 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 2,872 (#63 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Katmai National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,513 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 51,511 (#54 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
LCGS Russ // Wikimedia Commons
#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 3,635 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 11,185 (#58 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 4,316 miles
– Date founded: August 1, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 589,775 (#27 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 4,327 miles
– Date founded: July 1, 1961
– 2020 visitors: 319,147 (#40 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Tavita Togia, National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons
#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
– Distance: 6,466 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2020 visitors: 4,819 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres