Closest national parks to Winchester

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July 17, 2026
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

Closest national parks to Winchester

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 Winchester. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Winchester, VA-WV 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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#1. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 52 miles
- Driving time: 2.0 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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Steve Heap // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 164 miles
- Driving time: 4.5 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 212 miles
- Driving time: 5.4 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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ZakZeinert // Shutterstock

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

- Distance: 372 miles
- Driving time: 7.2 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

#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 400 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 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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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 439 miles
- Driving time: 9.3 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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Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 481 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 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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Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

#8. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 632 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 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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Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

#9. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 634 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 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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SveKo // Shutterstock

#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 790 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#11. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 870 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 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

#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 943 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 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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#13. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 958 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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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Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 972 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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: 1,041 miles
- Driving time: 20.2 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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#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,279 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 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: 1,327 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 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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#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,363 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 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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#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,438 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 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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#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,464 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 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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#21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,534 miles
- Driving time: 27.1 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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#22. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,564 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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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#23. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,570 miles
- Driving time: 28.8 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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#24. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,570 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 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

#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,607 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 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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#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,632 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 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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#27. 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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#28. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,667 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 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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#29. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 1,679 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 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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#30. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,693 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#31. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 1,694 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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Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

#32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,743 miles
- Driving time: 29.7 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: 1,758 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 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. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,822 miles
- Driving time: 33.0 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

#35. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,848 miles
- Driving time: 33.2 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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#36. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,853 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 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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#37. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 1,867 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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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#38. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,873 miles
- Driving time: 33.5 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: 1,912 miles
- Driving time: 33.5 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: 2,095 miles
- Driving time: 36.7 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: 2,101 miles
- Driving time: 36.9 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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#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,175 miles
- Driving time: 44.5 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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#43. Sequoia National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,190 miles
- Driving time: 43.3 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#44. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,195 miles
- Driving time: 42.5 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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#45. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,205 miles
- Driving time: 43.4 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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Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

#46. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,222 miles
- Driving time: 41.0 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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#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 2,266 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: 2,266 miles
- Driving time: 41.1 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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#49. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,284 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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f11photo // Shutterstock

#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 2,301 miles
- Driving time: 43.2 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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#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 2,320 miles
- Driving time: 41.9 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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