Closest national parks to Boise
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
Closest national parks to Boise
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 Boise. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Boise City, ID 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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Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#1. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
– Distance: 274 miles
– Driving time: 6.3 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1929
– 2020 visitors: 3,289,638 (#5 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
#2. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
– Distance: 294 miles
– Driving time: 7.5 hours
– Date founded: October 27, 1986
– 2020 visitors: 120,248 (#50 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
#3. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
– Distance: 302 miles
– Driving time: 8.2 hours
– Date founded: May 22, 1902
– 2020 visitors: 670,500 (#26 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
#4. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
– Distance: 303 miles
– Driving time: 6.7 hours
– Date founded: March 1, 1872
– 2020 visitors: 3,806,306 (#2 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#5. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
– Distance: 327 miles
– Driving time: 9.5 hours
– Date founded: August 9, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 542,274 (#29 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
#6. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 382 miles
– Driving time: 8.3 hours
– Date founded: March 2, 1899
– 2020 visitors: 1,160,754 (#18 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
#7. Yosemite National Park (California)
– Distance: 399 miles
– Driving time: 12.5 hours
– Date founded: October 1, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 2,268,313 (#12 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
#8. Glacier National Park (Montana)
– Distance: 413 miles
– Date founded: May 11, 1910
– 2020 visitors: 1,698,864 (#13 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
#9. Redwood National Park (California)
– Distance: 420 miles
– Driving time: 12.5 hours
– Date founded: October 2, 1968
– 2020 visitors: 265,177 (#43 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
#10. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 422 miles
– Driving time: 8.8 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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Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#11. Zion National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 426 miles
– Driving time: 9.5 hours
– Date founded: November 19, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 3,591,254 (#3 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 147,242.66 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
#12. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 429 miles
– Driving time: 9.3 hours
– Date founded: February 25, 1928
– 2020 visitors: 1,464,655 (#15 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
#13. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
– Distance: 447 miles
– Driving time: 16.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 415,077 (#35 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
#14. Arches National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 456 miles
– Driving time: 8.7 hours
– Date founded: November 12, 1971
– 2020 visitors: 1,238,083 (#17 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 76,678.98 acres
National Park Service/Deby Dixon // Wikimedia Commons
#15. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 463 miles
– Driving time: 10.8 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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Manamana // Shutterstock
#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
– Distance: 465 miles
– Driving time: 13.8 hours
– Date founded: September 12, 1964
– 2020 visitors: 493,914 (#30 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
#17. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
– Distance: 468 miles
– Driving time: 11.2 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
#18. Sequoia National Park (California)
– Distance: 473 miles
– Driving time: 16.1 hours
– Date founded: September 25, 1890
– 2020 visitors: 796,086 (#23 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 404,062.63 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
#19. Olympic National Park (Washington)
– Distance: 495 miles
– Driving time: 11.4 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1938
– 2020 visitors: 2,499,177 (#9 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
#20. Pinnacles National Park (California)
– Distance: 523 miles
– Driving time: 11.9 hours
– Date founded: January 10, 2013
– 2020 visitors: 165,740 (#48 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#21. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 525 miles
– Driving time: 13.3 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,897,098 (#6 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
#22. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 537 miles
– Driving time: 10.5 hours
– Date founded: October 21, 1999
– 2020 visitors: 341,620 (#39 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
#23. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 570 miles
– Driving time: 11.0 hours
– Date founded: June 29, 1906
– 2020 visitors: 287,477 (#42 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
#24. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 575 miles
– Driving time: 11.8 hours
– Date founded: January 26, 1915
– 2020 visitors: 3,305,199 (#4 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
#25. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
– Distance: 636 miles
– Driving time: 15.4 hours
– Date founded: October 31, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 2,399,542 (#10 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#26. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 639 miles
– Driving time: 13.1 hours
– Date founded: January 9, 1903
– 2020 visitors: 448,405 (#33 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 645 miles
– Driving time: 13.5 hours
– Date founded: December 9, 1962
– 2020 visitors: 384,483 (#38 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
#28. Channel Islands National Park (California)
– Distance: 645 miles
– Date founded: March 5, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 167,290 (#47 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
#29. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
– Distance: 668 miles
– Driving time: 13.9 hours
– Date founded: September 24, 2004
– 2020 visitors: 461,532 (#32 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
#30. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
– Distance: 678 miles
– Driving time: 13.3 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 551,303 (#28 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
#31. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
– Distance: 688 miles
– Driving time: 14.4 hours
– Date founded: November 10, 1978
– 2020 visitors: 916,932 (#21 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 242,755.94 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
#32. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
– Distance: 803 miles
– Driving time: 18.2 hours
– Date founded: October 14, 1994
– 2020 visitors: 762,226 (#24 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
#33. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 890 miles
– Driving time: 17.8 hours
– Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
– 2020 visitors: 415,383 (#34 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 146,344.31 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
#34. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 982 miles
– Driving time: 20.3 hours
– Date founded: October 15, 1966
– 2020 visitors: 151,256 (#49 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
#35. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
– Distance: 983 miles
– Driving time: 19.2 hours
– Date founded: May 14, 1930
– 2020 visitors: 183,835 (#45 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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#36. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
– Distance: 1,181 miles
– Driving time: 22.5 hours
– Date founded: April 8, 1975
– 2020 visitors: 263,091 (#44 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
#37. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
– Distance: 1,188 miles
– Driving time: 24.5 hours
– Date founded: June 12, 1944
– 2020 visitors: 393,907 (#37 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#38. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
– Distance: 1,372 miles
– Driving time: 25.3 hours
– Date founded: March 4, 1921
– 2020 visitors: 1,348,215 (#16 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 5,554.15 acres
MDuchek // Wikimedia Commons
#39. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
– Distance: 1,376 miles
– Driving time: 26.8 hours
– Date founded: April 3, 1940
– 2020 visitors: 6,493 (#59 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
#40. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
– Distance: 1,388 miles
– Driving time: 23.0 hours
– Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
– 2020 visitors: 486,021 (#31 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 192.83 acres
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Alan Wu // Wikimedia Commons
#41. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,396 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 5,748 (#60 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
#42. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
– Distance: 1,485 miles
– Driving time: 24.4 hours
– Date founded: February 15, 2019
– 2020 visitors: 2,293,106 (#11 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
#43. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
– Distance: 1,632 miles
– Driving time: 27.8 hours
– Date founded: July 1, 1941
– 2020 visitors: 290,392 (#41 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Sewtex // Wikimedia Commons
#44. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,641 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 16,655 (#57 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
#45. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
– Distance: 1,769 miles
– Driving time: 29.0 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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Aviator31 // Wikimedia Commons
#46. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
– Distance: 1,806 miles
– Driving time: 30.9 hours
– Date founded: June 15, 1934
– 2020 visitors: 12,095,720 (#1 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 522,426.88 acres
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#47. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,827 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 115,882 (#52 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
#48. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
– Distance: 1,863 miles
– Driving time: 31.6 hours
– Date founded: December 27, 2020
– 2020 visitors: 1,054,374 (#19 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,021 acres
Denali National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#49. Denali National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,959 miles
– Date founded: February 26, 1917
– 2020 visitors: 54,850 (#53 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Katmai National Park and Preserve // Wikimedia Commons
#50. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,971 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 51,511 (#54 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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Ryjil Christianson // Wikimedia Commons
#51. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 1,974 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 4,948 (#61 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
#52. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
– Distance: 1,989 miles
– Driving time: 35.0 hours
– Date founded: December 26, 1935
– 2020 visitors: 1,666,265 (#14 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Jtmartin57 // Wikimedia Commons
#53. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
– Distance: 2,005 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
National Park Service, Alaska Region // Wikimedia Commons
#54. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,187 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 2,872 (#63 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
U.S. National Park Service // Wikimedia Commons
#55. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,272 miles
– Driving time: 45.2 hours
– Date founded: October 26, 1992
– 2020 visitors: 48,543 (#55 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 64,701.22 acres
LCGS Russ // Wikimedia Commons
#56. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
– Distance: 2,318 miles
– Date founded: December 2, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 11,185 (#58 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
#57. Everglades National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,332 miles
– Driving time: 42.1 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
#58. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
– Distance: 2,358 miles
– Driving time: 41.1 hours
– Date founded: June 28, 1980
– 2020 visitors: 402,770 (#36 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
#59. Acadia National Park (Maine)
– Distance: 2,369 miles
– Driving time: 43.5 hours
– Date founded: February 26, 1919
– 2020 visitors: 2,669,034 (#8 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 49,076.63 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
#60. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 2,771 miles
– Date founded: July 1, 1961
– 2020 visitors: 319,147 (#40 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
– Distance: 2,790 miles
– Date founded: August 1, 1916
– 2020 visitors: 589,775 (#27 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
– Distance: 3,433 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: 5,236 miles
– Date founded: October 31, 1988
– 2020 visitors: 4,819 (#62 highest among all national parks)
– Park area: 8,256.67 acres
