Closest national parks to Tuscaloosa

Published 1:46 pm Monday, January 31, 2022

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Closest national parks to Tuscaloosa

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 Tuscaloosa. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Tuscaloosa, 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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#1. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

– Distance: 297 miles
– Driving time: 5.4 hours
– Date founded: July 1, 1941
– 2020 visitors: 290,392 (#41 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Aviator31 // Wikimedia Commons

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

– Distance: 302 miles
– Driving time: 5.9 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 12,095,720 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

– Distance: 317 miles
– Driving time: 7.0 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2020 visitors: 1,348,215 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres

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#4. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

– Distance: 404 miles
– Driving time: 8.2 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
– 2020 visitors: 486,021 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres

Jtmartin57 // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

– Distance: 408 miles
– Driving time: 7.2 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 2003
– 2020 visitors: 119,306 (#51 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,476.47 acres

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

– Distance: 510 miles
– Driving time: 9.1 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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#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

– Distance: 591 miles
– Driving time: 10.8 hours
– Date founded: February 15, 2019
– 2020 visitors: 2,293,106 (#11 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,349.08 acres

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#8. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

– Distance: 649 miles
– Driving time: 11.3 hours
– Date founded: December 26, 1935
– 2020 visitors: 1,666,265 (#14 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 199,223.77 acres

U.S. National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 655 miles
– Driving time: 16.1 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2020 visitors: 48,543 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#10. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

– Distance: 658 miles
– Driving time: 11.6 hours
– Date founded: October 11, 2000
– 2020 visitors: 2,755,628 (#7 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 32,571.88 acres

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#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 677 miles
– Driving time: 14.0 hours
– Date founded: May 30, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 702,319 (#25 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

NPS // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 692 miles
– Driving time: 13.0 hours
– Date founded: June 28, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 402,770 (#36 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 172,971.11 acres

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#13. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 952 miles
– Driving time: 19.9 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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#14. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 971 miles
– Driving time: 16.2 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2020 visitors: 183,835 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres

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#15. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 999 miles
– Driving time: 17.3 hours
– Date founded: October 15, 1966
– 2020 visitors: 151,256 (#49 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 86,367.10 acres

MDuchek // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

– Distance: 1,036 miles
– Driving time: 19.5 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 6,493 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres

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#17. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,047 miles
– Driving time: 19.4 hours
– Date founded: September 24, 2004
– 2020 visitors: 461,532 (#32 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 107,341.87 acres

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#18. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 1,066 miles
– Driving time: 18.4 hours
– Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
– 2020 visitors: 415,383 (#34 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 146,344.31 acres

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#19. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

– Distance: 1,081 miles
– Driving time: 21.2 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 916,932 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres

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#20. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

– Distance: 1,095 miles
– Driving time: 20.6 hours
– Date founded: April 8, 1975
– 2020 visitors: 263,091 (#44 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 218,222.35 acres

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#21. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,105 miles
– Driving time: 20.9 hours
– Date founded: January 26, 1915
– 2020 visitors: 3,305,199 (#4 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 265,807.25 acres

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#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

– Distance: 1,114 miles
– Driving time: 22.3 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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#23. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,177 miles
– Driving time: 23.2 hours
– Date founded: October 21, 1999
– 2020 visitors: 341,620 (#39 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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#24. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,202 miles
– Driving time: 22.6 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1906
– 2020 visitors: 287,477 (#42 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 52,485.17 acres

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#25. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

– Distance: 1,262 miles
– Driving time: 25.0 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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#26. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,265 miles
– Driving time: 20.8 hours
– Date founded: December 9, 1962
– 2020 visitors: 384,483 (#38 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 221,390.21 acres

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#27. Arches National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,277 miles
– Driving time: 24.5 hours
– Date founded: November 12, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 1,238,083 (#17 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 76,678.98 acres

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#28. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,291 miles
– Driving time: 29.2 hours
– Date founded: September 12, 1964
– 2020 visitors: 493,914 (#30 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 337,597.83 acres

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#29. Acadia National Park (Maine)

– Distance: 1,307 miles
– Driving time: 25.1 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,669,034 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,076.63 acres

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#30. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,322 miles
– Driving time: 22.1 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: 1,357 miles
– Driving time: 26.7 hours
– Date founded: December 18, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 981,038 (#20 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 241,904.50 acres

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#32. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,399 miles
– Driving time: 24.4 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,897,098 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

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#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,407 miles
– Driving time: 27.8 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: 1,440 miles
– Driving time: 27.4 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2020 visitors: 3,289,638 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres

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

– Distance: 1,451 miles
– Driving time: 28.3 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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#36. Zion National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,453 miles
– Driving time: 27.9 hours
– Date founded: November 19, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 3,591,254 (#3 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 147,242.66 acres

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#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

– Distance: 1,532 miles
– Driving time: 29.3 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2020 visitors: 120,248 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres

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#38. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,619 miles
– Driving time: 27.3 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 2,399,542 (#10 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 795,155.85 acres

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

– Distance: 1,661 miles
– Driving time: 28.4 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 820,023 (#22 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

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#40. Glacier National Park (Montana)

– Distance: 1,732 miles
– Date founded: May 11, 1910
– 2020 visitors: 1,698,864 (#13 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

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

– Distance: 1,754 miles
– Date founded: August 2, 1956
– 2020 visitors: 167,540 (#46 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,052.53 acres

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#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,756 miles
– Driving time: 35.2 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 415,077 (#35 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 461,901.20 acres

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#43. Sequoia National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,764 miles
– Driving time: 34.3 hours
– Date founded: September 25, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 796,086 (#23 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 404,062.63 acres

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#44. Yosemite National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,809 miles
– Driving time: 34.2 hours
– Date founded: October 1, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 2,268,313 (#12 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 761,747.50 acres

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#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,818 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 167,290 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres

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#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,902 miles
– Driving time: 32.8 hours
– Date founded: January 10, 2013
– 2020 visitors: 165,740 (#48 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,685.73 acres

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#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,925 miles
– Driving time: 35.8 hours
– Date founded: August 9, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 542,274 (#29 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 106,589.02 acres

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#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

– Distance: 1,974 miles
– Driving time: 38.0 hours
– Date founded: May 22, 1902
– 2020 visitors: 670,500 (#26 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 183,224.05 acres

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#49. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

– Distance: 2,015 miles
– Driving time: 38.0 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: 2,029 miles
– Driving time: 40.3 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 30,885 (#56 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 504,780.94 acres

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#51. Redwood National Park (California)

– Distance: 2,059 miles
– Driving time: 41.2 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 265,177 (#43 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 138,999.37 acres

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#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)

– Distance: 2,115 miles
– Driving time: 41.1 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1938
– 2020 visitors: 2,499,177 (#9 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 922,649.41 acres

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#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 2,856 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: 3,069 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: 3,315 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: 3,369 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: 3,448 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: 3,491 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: 3,500 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: 3,646 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: 4,221 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: 4,234 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: 6,350 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2020 visitors: 4,819 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres