Closest national parks to San Diego
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
Closest national parks to San Diego
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 San Diego. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 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. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 73 miles
– Driving time: 3.4 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 2,399,542 (#10 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
#2. Channel Islands National Park (California)
– Distance: 167 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 167,290 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
#3. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 222 miles
– Driving time: 6.4 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 820,023 (#22 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
#4. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 259 miles
– Driving time: 9.3 hours
– Date founded: September 25, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 796,086 (#23 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
#5. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 279 miles
– Driving time: 10.2 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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Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#6. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 337 miles
– Driving time: 8.8 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,897,098 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
#7. Pinnacles National Park (California)
– Distance: 345 miles
– Driving time: 7.4 hours
– Date founded: January 10, 2013
– 2020 visitors: 165,740 (#48 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#8. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 362 miles
– Driving time: 8.6 hours
– Date founded: November 19, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 3,591,254 (#3 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
#9. Yosemite National Park (California)
– Distance: 365 miles
– Driving time: 9.3 hours
– Date founded: October 1, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 2,268,313 (#12 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 761,747.50 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
#10. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 370 miles
– Driving time: 8.1 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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#11. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 407 miles
– Driving time: 10.6 hours
– Date founded: February 25, 1928
– 2020 visitors: 1,464,655 (#15 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
#12. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 425 miles
– Driving time: 9.0 hours
– Date founded: December 9, 1962
– 2020 visitors: 384,483 (#38 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
#13. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 433 miles
– Driving time: 11.7 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2020 visitors: 120,248 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 476 miles
– Driving time: 11.9 hours
– Date founded: December 18, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 981,038 (#20 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
#15. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 525 miles
– Driving time: 17.4 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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Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
#16. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 550 miles
– Driving time: 12.9 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1906
– 2020 visitors: 287,477 (#42 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
#17. Arches National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 561 miles
– Driving time: 12.2 hours
– Date founded: November 12, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 1,238,083 (#17 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#18. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
– Distance: 578 miles
– Driving time: 12.1 hours
– Date founded: August 9, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 542,274 (#29 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#19. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 617 miles
– Driving time: 11.0 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
#20. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 636 miles
– Driving time: 14.1 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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#21. Redwood National Park (California)
– Distance: 696 miles
– Driving time: 17.1 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 265,177 (#43 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 138,999.37 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
#22. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 699 miles
– Driving time: 12.9 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
#23. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 713 miles
– Driving time: 16.3 hours
– Date founded: September 24, 2004
– 2020 visitors: 461,532 (#32 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
#24. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 722 miles
– Driving time: 13.1 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2020 visitors: 183,835 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
#25. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
– Distance: 743 miles
– Driving time: 14.4 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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#26. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 802 miles
– Driving time: 17.8 hours
– Date founded: January 26, 1915
– 2020 visitors: 3,305,199 (#4 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#27. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
– Distance: 806 miles
– Driving time: 16.8 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2020 visitors: 3,289,638 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
#28. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 842 miles
– Driving time: 17.2 hours
– Date founded: June 12, 1944
– 2020 visitors: 393,907 (#37 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
#29. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
– Distance: 867 miles
– Driving time: 17.1 hours
– Date founded: March 1, 1872
– 2020 visitors: 3,806,306 (#2 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
#30. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 989 miles
– Driving time: 20.9 hours
– Date founded: March 2, 1899
– 2020 visitors: 1,160,754 (#18 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#31. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 1,023 miles
– Driving time: 21.5 hours
– Date founded: January 9, 1903
– 2020 visitors: 448,405 (#33 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
#32. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 1,069 miles
– Driving time: 22.8 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 916,932 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
#33. Olympic National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 1,089 miles
– Driving time: 22.7 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1938
– 2020 visitors: 2,499,177 (#9 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
#34. Glacier National Park (Montana)
– Distance: 1,098 miles
– Date founded: May 11, 1910
– 2020 visitors: 1,698,864 (#13 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
National Park Service/Deby Dixon // Wikimedia Commons
#35. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 1,106 miles
– Driving time: 23.5 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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#36. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
– Distance: 1,190 miles
– Driving time: 24.9 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 551,303 (#28 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#37. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
– Distance: 1,366 miles
– Driving time: 24.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2020 visitors: 1,348,215 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
#38. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
– Distance: 1,536 miles
– Driving time: 26.9 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
– 2020 visitors: 486,021 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
#39. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
– Distance: 1,634 miles
– Driving time: 34.0 hours
– Date founded: April 8, 1975
– 2020 visitors: 263,091 (#44 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
#40. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
– Distance: 1,731 miles
– Driving time: 31.7 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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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
#41. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
– Distance: 1,754 miles
– Driving time: 30.8 hours
– Date founded: July 1, 1941
– 2020 visitors: 290,392 (#41 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 54,011.91 acres
MDuchek // Wikimedia Commons
#42. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
– Distance: 1,797 miles
– Driving time: 37.4 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 6,493 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Aviator31 // Wikimedia Commons
#43. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
– Distance: 1,900 miles
– Driving time: 32.9 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 12,095,720 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Alan Wu // Wikimedia Commons
#44. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,995 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 5,748 (#60 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#45. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
– Distance: 2,010 miles
– Driving time: 34.9 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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Steve Heap // Shutterstock
#46. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
– Distance: 2,028 miles
– Driving time: 35.5 hours
– Date founded: December 27, 2020
– 2020 visitors: 1,054,374 (#19 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,021 acres
Jtmartin57 // Wikimedia Commons
#47. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
– Distance: 2,071 miles
– Driving time: 35.0 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 2003
– 2020 visitors: 119,306 (#51 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,476.47 acres
U.S. National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons
#48. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,126 miles
– Driving time: 42.5 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2020 visitors: 48,543 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
#49. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
– Distance: 2,176 miles
– Driving time: 38.4 hours
– Date founded: December 26, 1935
– 2020 visitors: 1,666,265 (#14 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
#50. Everglades National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,219 miles
– Driving time: 40.3 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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Sewtex // Wikimedia Commons
#51. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,239 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 16,655 (#57 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
NPS // Wikimedia Commons
#52. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,260 miles
– Driving time: 39.5 hours
– Date founded: June 28, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 402,770 (#36 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 172,971.11 acres
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#53. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,383 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 115,882 (#52 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Katmai National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#54. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,491 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 51,511 (#54 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Ryjil Christianson // Wikimedia Commons
#55. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,530 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 4,948 (#61 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
#56. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 2,547 miles
– Date founded: August 1, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 589,775 (#27 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Denali National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#57. Denali National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,550 miles
– Date founded: February 26, 1917
– 2020 visitors: 54,850 (#53 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
#58. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 2,558 miles
– Date founded: July 1, 1961
– 2020 visitors: 319,147 (#40 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
#59. Acadia National Park (Maine)
– Distance: 2,697 miles
– Driving time: 49.7 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,669,034 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,076.63 acres
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#60. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,808 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 2,872 (#63 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
LCGS Russ // Wikimedia Commons
#61. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,926 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 11,185 (#58 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
– Distance: 3,364 miles
– Date founded: August 2, 1956
– 2020 visitors: 167,540 (#46 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Tavita Togia, National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons
#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
– Distance: 4,819 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2020 visitors: 4,819 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres
