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Closest national parks to Florence

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 Florence. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Florence-Muscle Shoals, 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: 188 miles
– Driving time: 3.8 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: 245 miles
– Driving time: 5.5 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 12,095,720 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#3. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

– Distance: 298 miles
– Driving time: 6.2 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
– 2020 visitors: 486,021 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#4. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

– Distance: 304 miles
– Driving time: 5.5 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2020 visitors: 1,348,215 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Jtmartin57 // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

– Distance: 403 miles
– Driving time: 8.3 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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Steve Heap // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 433 miles
– Driving time: 8.7 hours
– Date founded: December 27, 2020
– 2020 visitors: 1,054,374 (#19 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,021 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

– Distance: 474 miles
– Driving time: 9.2 hours
– Date founded: February 15, 2019
– 2020 visitors: 2,293,106 (#11 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#8. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

– Distance: 557 miles
– Driving time: 9.9 hours
– Date founded: October 11, 2000
– 2020 visitors: 2,755,628 (#7 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

– Distance: 580 miles
– Driving time: 10.9 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

#10. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 758 miles
– Driving time: 17.4 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2020 visitors: 48,543 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres

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#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)

– Distance: 769 miles
– Driving time: 15.4 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: 778 miles
– Driving time: 14.4 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: 919 miles
– Driving time: 18.0 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 6,493 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

#14. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 981 miles
– Driving time: 16.8 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2020 visitors: 183,835 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

– Distance: 982 miles
– Driving time: 19.0 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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#16. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 987 miles
– Driving time: 19.7 hours
– Date founded: June 12, 1944
– 2020 visitors: 393,907 (#37 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

#17. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

– Distance: 1,002 miles
– Driving time: 19.2 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 916,932 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

#18. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

– Distance: 1,010 miles
– Driving time: 17.9 hours
– Date founded: October 15, 1966
– 2020 visitors: 151,256 (#49 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

#19. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,012 miles
– Driving time: 18.4 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: 1,037 miles
– Driving time: 20.4 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: 1,051 miles
– Driving time: 19.4 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. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

– Distance: 1,069 miles
– Driving time: 18.5 hours
– Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
– 2020 visitors: 415,383 (#34 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 146,344.31 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 1,138 miles
– Driving time: 22.1 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. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

– Distance: 1,172 miles
– Driving time: 22.8 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 551,303 (#28 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

– Distance: 1,173 miles
– Driving time: 21.5 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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#26. Acadia National Park (Maine)

– Distance: 1,228 miles
– Driving time: 24.6 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,669,034 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

#27. Arches National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,239 miles
– Driving time: 23.6 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: 1,250 miles
– Driving time: 19.7 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: 1,255 miles
– Driving time: 28.1 hours
– Date founded: September 12, 1964
– 2020 visitors: 493,914 (#30 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

#30. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,323 miles
– Driving time: 25.1 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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#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,324 miles
– Driving time: 22.8 hours
– Date founded: October 14, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 762,226 (#24 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#32. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

– Distance: 1,376 miles
– Driving time: 25.4 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2020 visitors: 3,289,638 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

– Distance: 1,377 miles
– Driving time: 26.6 hours
– Date founded: February 25, 1928
– 2020 visitors: 1,464,655 (#15 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#34. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

– Distance: 1,377 miles
– Driving time: 23.3 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,897,098 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 1,383 miles
– Driving time: 26.4 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: 1,424 miles
– Driving time: 26.9 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: 1,495 miles
– Driving time: 27.7 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2020 visitors: 120,248 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

#38. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,608 miles
– Driving time: 27.1 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

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

– Distance: 1,637 miles
– Driving time: 27.5 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

#40. Glacier National Park (Montana)

– Distance: 1,652 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

#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,730 miles
– Driving time: 34.1 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

#42. Sequoia National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,739 miles
– Driving time: 33.2 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

#43. Yosemite National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,777 miles
– Driving time: 33.1 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

#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,804 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 167,290 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

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

– Distance: 1,811 miles
– Date founded: August 2, 1956
– 2020 visitors: 167,540 (#46 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,052.53 acres

Yhelfman // Shutterstock

#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)

– Distance: 1,876 miles
– Driving time: 31.7 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: 1,882 miles
– Driving time: 34.8 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: 1,922 miles
– Driving time: 36.4 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: 1,948 miles
– Driving time: 35.9 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: 1,956 miles
– Driving time: 38.4 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: 2,013 miles
– Driving time: 40.0 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: 2,045 miles
– Driving time: 39.0 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: 2,766 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: 2,975 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: 3,224 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: 3,272 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: 3,356 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: 3,389 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: 3,412 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: 3,544 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: 4,215 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: 4,225 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: 6,386 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2020 visitors: 4,819 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres