Photo by Zack Frank /Shutterstock via Stacker

Approximately 331 million people visited American national parks in 2024, representing a 2% year-over-year growth and the fourth straight year of growth.

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 Corvallis. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Corvallis, OR 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.

Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

#1. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

– Distance: 126 miles
– Driving time: 3.9 hours
– Date founded: May 22, 1902
– 2024 visitors: 504,942 (#39 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 183,224.05 acres

Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

#2. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

– Distance: 182 miles
– Driving time: 4.7 hours
– Date founded: March 2, 1899
– 2024 visitors: 1,620,006 (#19 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 236,381.64 acres

Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#3. Redwood National Park (California)

– Distance: 222 miles
– Driving time: 5.8 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2024 visitors: 622,883 (#35 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 138,999.37 acres

f11photo // Shutterstock

#4. Olympic National Park (Washington)

– Distance: 240 miles
– Driving time: 6.6 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1938
– 2024 visitors: 3,717,267 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 922,649.41 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#5. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

– Distance: 293 miles
– Driving time: 7.8 hours
– Date founded: August 9, 1916
– 2024 visitors: 357,651 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 106,589.02 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#6. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

– Distance: 309 miles
– Driving time: 6.9 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2024 visitors: 16,485 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 504,780.94 acres

Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

#7. Yosemite National Park (California)

– Distance: 503 miles
– Driving time: 12.0 hours
– Date founded: October 1, 1890
– 2024 visitors: 4,121,807 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 761,747.50 acres

Pung // Shutterstock

#8. Glacier National Park (Montana)

– Distance: 537 miles
– Date founded: May 11, 1910
– 2024 visitors: 3,208,755 (#10 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,013,126.39 acres

Yhelfman // Shutterstock

#9. Pinnacles National Park (California)

– Distance: 566 miles
– Driving time: 11.0 hours
– Date founded: January 10, 2013
– 2024 visitors: 354,076 (#48 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,685.73 acres

Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock

#10. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

– Distance: 589 miles
– Driving time: 15.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1940
– 2024 visitors: 699,389 (#34 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 461,901.20 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

– Distance: 605 miles
– Driving time: 14.4 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2024 visitors: 152,068 (#54 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

#12. Sequoia National Park (California)

– Distance: 610 miles
– Driving time: 15.1 hours
– Date founded: September 25, 1890
– 2024 visitors: 1,309,573 (#24 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 404,062.63 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#13. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

– Distance: 630 miles
– Driving time: 14.4 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2024 visitors: 3,628,222 (#9 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 638 miles
– Driving time: 14.8 hours
– Date founded: March 1, 1872
– 2024 visitors: 4,744,353 (#4 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 667 miles
– Driving time: 14.8 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2024 visitors: 1,440,484 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,408,395.63 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#16. Zion National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 735 miles
– Driving time: 17.5 hours
– Date founded: November 19, 1919
– 2024 visitors: 4,946,592 (#2 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock

#17. Channel Islands National Park (California)

– Distance: 754 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 262,581 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

#18. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 756 miles
– Driving time: 17.3 hours
– Date founded: February 25, 1928
– 2024 visitors: 2,498,075 (#15 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

#19. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 770 miles
– Driving time: 16.7 hours
– Date founded: December 18, 1971
– 2024 visitors: 1,422,490 (#23 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

#20. Arches National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 821 miles
– Driving time: 16.6 hours
– Date founded: November 12, 1971
– 2024 visitors: 1,466,528 (#20 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 824 miles
– Driving time: 21.7 hours
– Date founded: September 12, 1964
– 2024 visitors: 818,492 (#27 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#22. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 832 miles
– Driving time: 19.9 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2024 visitors: 4,919,163 (#3 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

#23. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

– Distance: 841 miles
– Driving time: 16.9 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2024 visitors: 2,991,874 (#11 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 795,155.85 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 909 miles
– Driving time: 18.5 hours
– Date founded: October 21, 1999
– 2024 visitors: 335,862 (#49 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 929 miles
– Driving time: 19.1 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1906
– 2024 visitors: 480,065 (#41 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

#26. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 953 miles
– Driving time: 20.0 hours
– Date founded: January 26, 1915
– 2024 visitors: 4,154,349 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 265,847.74 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 972 miles
– Driving time: 20.8 hours
– Date founded: December 9, 1962
– 2024 visitors: 559,254 (#37 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

#28. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

– Distance: 978 miles
– Driving time: 18.9 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2024 visitors: 732,951 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#29. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

– Distance: 993 miles
– Driving time: 19.9 hours
– Date founded: January 9, 1903
– 2024 visitors: 489,399 (#40 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

#30. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

– Distance: 1,039 miles
– Driving time: 20.4 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2024 visitors: 1,094,245 (#25 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

#31. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,042 miles
– Driving time: 22.0 hours
– Date founded: September 24, 2004
– 2024 visitors: 437,661 (#44 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 107,345.73 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

#32. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,095 miles
– Driving time: 22.7 hours
– Date founded: October 14, 1994
– 2024 visitors: 946,369 (#26 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 92,876.75 acres

Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock

#33. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 1,127 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 736,282 (#30 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#34. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 1,230 miles
– Driving time: 25.8 hours
– Date founded: December 20, 2019
– 2024 visitors: 702,236 (#33 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 146,344.31 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

#35. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 1,325 miles
– Driving time: 27.6 hours
– Date founded: October 15, 1966
– 2024 visitors: 226,134 (#52 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

#36. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 1,331 miles
– Driving time: 27.2 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2024 visitors: 460,474 (#43 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Martin Capek // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 1,371 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 81,670 (#56 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

– Distance: 1,473 miles
– Driving time: 28.0 hours
– Date founded: April 8, 1975
– 2024 visitors: 199,030 (#53 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock

#39. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 1,523 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 419,468 (#46 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 669,650.05 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

#40. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 1,526 miles
– Driving time: 31.7 hours
– Date founded: June 12, 1944
– 2024 visitors: 561,458 (#36 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock

#41. Katmai National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 1,647 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 36,230 (#57 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres

Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock

#42. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 1,671 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 18,505 (#60 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres

SveKo // Shutterstock

#43. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

– Distance: 1,673 miles
– Driving time: 32.2 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2024 visitors: 28,806 (#58 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock

#44. Denali National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 1,683 miles
– Date founded: February 26, 1917
– 2024 visitors: 466,227 (#42 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#45. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

– Distance: 1,750 miles
– Driving time: 33.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2024 visitors: 2,461,812 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#46. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

– Distance: 1,757 miles
– Driving time: 30.9 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018
– 2024 visitors: 2,563,052 (#14 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#47. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

– Distance: 1,836 miles
– Driving time: 32.4 hours
– Date founded: February 15, 2019
– 2024 visitors: 2,705,209 (#13 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,349.08 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 1,940 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 11,907 (#63 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#49. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

– Distance: 2,001 miles
– Driving time: 35.8 hours
– Date founded: July 1, 1941
– 2024 visitors: 747,042 (#28 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 72,472.87 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#50. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

– Distance: 2,057 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 17,233 (#61 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#51. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

– Distance: 2,115 miles
– Driving time: 37.0 hours
– Date founded: October 11, 2000
– 2024 visitors: 2,912,454 (#12 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 32,571.89 acres

ZakZeinert // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 2,176 miles
– Driving time: 39.1 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2024 visitors: 12,191,834 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 2,223 miles
– Driving time: 39.5 hours
– Date founded: December 27, 2020
– 2024 visitors: 1,811,937 (#17 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,021 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

#54. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

– Distance: 2,344 miles
– Driving time: 43.0 hours
– Date founded: December 26, 1935
– 2024 visitors: 1,720,211 (#18 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 200,445.92 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

– Distance: 2,377 miles
– Driving time: 43.2 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 2003
– 2024 visitors: 242,049 (#51 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,692.60 acres

MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock

#56. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)

– Distance: 2,487 miles
– Date founded: July 1, 1961
– 2024 visitors: 732,477 (#32 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,488.98 acres

jo Crebbin // Shutterstock

#57. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

– Distance: 2,516 miles
– Date founded: August 1, 1916
– 2024 visitors: 1,433,593 (#22 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 344,812.18 acres

Varina C // Shutterstock

#58. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 2,649 miles
– Driving time: 53.2 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2024 visitors: 84,873 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

#59. Acadia National Park (Maine)

– Distance: 2,678 miles
– Driving time: 51.4 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2024 visitors: 3,961,661 (#7 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,071.40 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

#60. Everglades National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 2,710 miles
– Driving time: 50.5 hours
– Date founded: May 30, 1934
– 2024 visitors: 741,983 (#29 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock

#61. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 2,736 miles
– Driving time: 49.4 hours
– Date founded: June 28, 1980
– 2024 visitors: 512,213 (#38 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 3,810 miles
– Date founded: August 2, 1956
– 2024 visitors: 423,029 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,052.33 acres

Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 5,015 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2024 visitors: 22,567 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres


Stacker

Stacker is a news organization that produces and distributes data journalism to the world’s news organizations. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling. This article has been republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.