Closest national parks to Reading

Written by:
July 17, 2026
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

Closest national parks to Reading

Approximately visited American national parks in 2025, a 2.7% year-over-year decrease and the first annual decline since 2020.

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 contain at least 247 species of , more than 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails.

compiled a list of the closest national parks to Reading. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Reading, PA Metro Area and each national park. Estimated driving times are from 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鈥攆or some places within the metro area, the actual distance may be slightly shorter or longer to reach the closest entryway to a park.

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Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

#1. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 183 miles
- Driving time: 4.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#2. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 300 miles
- Driving time: 5.7 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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Steve Heap // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 320 miles
- Driving time: 6.4 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

#4. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 479 miles
- Driving time: 10.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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ZakZeinert // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 527 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#6. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 530 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 587 miles
- Driving time: 10.3 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 592 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#9. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 771 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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SveKo // Shutterstock

#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 819 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,004 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,023 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,045 miles
- Driving time: 19.0 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,080 miles
- Driving time: 20.1 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,160 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,379 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,429 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,442 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,557 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,594 miles
- Driving time: 27.5 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 1,661 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,681 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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SL-Photography // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 1,695 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,711 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

#25. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,723 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#26. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,752 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,762 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 1,775 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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#29. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,790 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#30. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 1,794 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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Manamana // Shutterstock

#31. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,817 miles
- Driving time: 37.4 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

#32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,878 miles
- Driving time: 30.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,882 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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#34. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 1,942 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,948 miles
- Driving time: 33.9 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,979 miles
- Driving time: 34.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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#37. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,995 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#38. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,999 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

#39. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 2,031 miles
- Driving time: 34.5 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 2,220 miles
- Driving time: 37.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

#41. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,235 miles
- Driving time: 37.9 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#42. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,271 miles
- Driving time: 42.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock

#43. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,298 miles
- Driving time: 45.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

#44. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,306 miles
- Driving time: 41.3 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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#45. Sequoia National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,313 miles
- Driving time: 44.2 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

#46. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,324 miles
- Driving time: 43.5 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 2,365 miles
- Driving time: 41.8 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,375 miles
- Driving time: 40.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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f11photo // Shutterstock

#49. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,380 miles
- Driving time: 44.0 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock

#50. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,414 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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Yhelfman // Shutterstock

#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,442 miles
- Driving time: 42.9 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#52. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,487 miles
- Driving time: 45.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock

#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 2,897 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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#54. Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,063 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock

#55. Denali National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,319 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock

#56. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,331 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 3,357 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock

#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,443 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

#59. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,515 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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#60. Katmai National Park (Alaska)

- Distance: 3,539 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock

#61. Haleakal膩 National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 4,810 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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jo Crebbin // Shutterstock

#62. Hawai驶i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

- Distance: 4,815 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 7,098 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres

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