Closest national parks to Santa Fe

(STACKER) – 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.

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 Santa Fe. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Santa Fe, NM Metro Area, and each national park. Estimated driving times are from Here.com 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.

#1 Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

• Distance: 155 miles
• Driving time: 3.6 hours
• Date founded: September 24, 2004
• Park area: 107,341.87 acres

#2 Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

• Distance: 182 miles
• Driving time: 5.3 hours
• Date founded: June 29, 1906
• Park area: 52,485.17 acres

#3 White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

• Distance: 189 miles
• Driving time: 4.1 hours
• Date founded: December 20, 2019
• Park area: 146,344.31 acres

#4 Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

• Distance: 218 miles
• Driving time: 4.0 hours
• Date founded: December 9, 1962
• Park area: 221,390.21 acres

#5 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

• Distance: 232 miles
• Driving time: 6.7 hours
• Date founded: October 21, 1999
• Park area: 30,779.83 acres

#6 Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

• Distance: 247 miles
• Driving time: 4.8 hours
• Date founded: May 14, 1930
• Park area: 46,766.45 acres

#7 Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

• Distance: 256 miles
• Driving time: 5.9 hours
• Date founded: October 15, 1966
• Park area: 86,367.10 acres

#8 Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

• Distance: 287 miles
• Driving time: 11.9 hours
• Date founded: September 12, 1964
• Park area: 337,597.83 acres

#9 Arches National Park (Utah)

• Distance: 295 miles
• Driving time: 7.2 hours
• Date founded: November 12, 1971
• Park area: 76,678.98 acres

#10 Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

• Distance: 338 miles
• Driving time: 7.3 hours
• Date founded: January 26, 1915
• Park area: 265,807.25 acres

#11 Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

• Distance: 343 miles
• Driving time: 9.3 hours
• Date founded: December 18, 1971
• Park area: 241,904.50 acres

#12 Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

• Distance: 344 miles
• Driving time: 7.8 hours
• Date founded: October 14, 1994
• Park area: 92,867.42 acres

#13 Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

• Distance: 349 miles
• Driving time: 7.6 hours
• Date founded: February 26, 1919
• Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

#14 Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

• Distance: 374 miles
• Driving time: 11.0 hours
• Date founded: February 25, 1928
• Park area: 35,835.08 acres

#15 Zion National Park (Utah)

• Distance: 414 miles
• Driving time: 11.1 hours
• Date founded: November 19, 1919
• Park area: 147,242.66 acres

#16 Big Bend National Park (Texas)

• Distance: 460 miles
• Driving time: 10.0 hours
• Date founded: June 12, 1944
• Park area: 801,163.21 acres

#17 Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

• Distance: 518 miles
• Driving time: 12.1 hours
• Date founded: October 27, 1986
• Park area: 77,180.00 acres

#18 Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

• Distance: 571 miles
• Driving time: 10.7 hours
• Date founded: January 9, 1903
• Park area: 33,970.84 acres

#19 Joshua Tree National Park (California)

• Distance: 578 miles
• Driving time: 11.3 hours
• Date founded: October 31, 1994
• Park area: 795,155.85 acres

#20 Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

• Distance: 597 miles
• Driving time: 11.8 hours
• Date founded: November 10, 1978
• Park area: 242,755.94 acres

#21 Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

• Distance: 611 miles
• Driving time: 11.7 hours
• Date founded: October 31, 1994
• Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

#22 Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

• Distance: 622 miles
• Driving time: 13.7 hours
• Date founded: February 26, 1929
• Park area: 310,044.36 acres

#23 Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

• Distance: 671 miles
• Driving time: 14.8 hours
• Date founded: March 1, 1872
• Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

#24 Kings Canyon National Park (California)

• Distance: 709 miles
• Driving time: 18.4 hours
• Date founded: March 4, 1940
• Park area: 461,901.20 acres

#25 Sequoia National Park (California)

• Distance: 715 miles
• Driving time: 17.3 hours
• Date founded: September 25, 1890
• Park area: 404,062.63 acres

#26 Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

• Distance: 735 miles
• Driving time: 12.9 hours
• Date founded: March 4, 1921
• Park area: 5,554.15 acres

#27 Yosemite National Park (California)

• Distance: 768 miles
• Driving time: 17.5 hours
• Date founded: October 1, 1890
• Park area: 761,747.50 acres

#28 Channel Islands National Park (California)

• Distance: 772 miles
• Date founded: March 5, 1980
• Park area: 249,561.00 acres

#29 Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

• Distance: 801 miles
• Driving time: 15.4 hours
• Date founded: November 10, 1978
• Park area: 70,446.89 acres

#30 Pinnacles National Park (California)

• Distance: 853 miles
• Driving time: 16.0 hours
• Date founded: January 10, 2013
• Park area: 26,685.73 acres

#31 Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

• Distance: 896 miles
• Driving time: 14.7 hours
• Date founded: February 22, 2018
• Park area: 192.83 acres

#32 Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

• Distance: 914 miles
• Driving time: 19.2 hours
• Date founded: August 9, 1916
• Park area: 106,589.02 acres

#33 Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

• Distance: 1,003 miles
• Driving time: 21.9 hours
• Date founded: May 22, 1902
• Park area: 183,224.05 acres

#34 Glacier National Park (Montana)

• Distance: 1,004 miles
• Date founded: May 11, 1910
• Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

#35 Redwood National Park (California)

• Distance: 1,055 miles
• Driving time: 24.6 hours
• Date founded: October 2, 1968
• Park area: 138,999.37 acres

#36 Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

• Distance: 1,105 miles
• Driving time: 19.9 hours
• Date founded: February 15, 2019
• Park area: 15,349.08 acres

#37 Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

• Distance: 1,112 miles
• Driving time: 19.0 hours
• Date founded: July 1, 1941
• Park area: 54,011.91 acres

#38 Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

• Distance: 1,118 miles
• Driving time: 22.8 hours
• Date founded: April 8, 1975
• Park area: 218,222.35 acres

#39 Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

• Distance: 1,131 miles
• Driving time: 22.1 hours
• Date founded: March 2, 1899
• Park area: 236,381.64 acres

#40 North Cascades National Park (Washington)

• Distance: 1,196 miles
• Driving time: 24.6 hours
• Date founded: October 2, 1968
• Park area: 504,780.94 acres

#41 Olympic National Park (Washington)

• Distance: 1,244 miles
• Driving time: 25.4 hours
• Date founded: June 29, 1938
• Park area: 922,649.41 acres

#42 Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

• Distance: 1,245 miles
• Driving time: 25.6 hours
• Date founded: April 3, 1940
• Park area: 571,790.30 acres

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

• Distance: 1,261 miles
• Driving time: 21.2 hours
• Date founded: June 15, 1934
• Park area: 522,426.88 acres

#44 Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

• Distance: 1,378 miles
• Driving time: 23.2 hours
• Date founded: October 11, 2000
• Park area: 32,571.88 acres

#45 New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

• Distance: 1,387 miles
• Driving time: 23.4 hours
• Date founded: December 27, 2020
• Park area: 7,021 acres

#46 Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

• Distance: 1,436 miles
• Driving time: 24.0 hours
• Date founded: November 10, 2003
• Park area: 26,476.47 acres

#47 Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

• Distance: 1,535 miles
• Driving time: 26.5 hours
• Date founded: December 26, 1935
• Park area: 199,223.77 acres

#48 Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

• Distance: 1,568 miles
• Driving time: 31.9 hours
• Date founded: October 26, 1992
• Park area: 64,701.22 acres

#49 Everglades National Park (Florida)

• Distance: 1,645 miles
• Driving time: 30.1 hours
• Date founded: May 30, 1934
• Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

#50 Biscayne National Park (Florida)

• Distance: 1,679 miles
• Driving time: 29.0 hours
• Date founded: June 28, 1980
• Park area: 172,971.11 acres

#51 Acadia National Park (Maine)

• Distance: 2,075 miles
• Driving time: 37.7 hours
• Date founded: February 26, 1919
• Park area: 49,076.63 acres

#52 Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,125 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres

#53 Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,365 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres

#54 Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,567 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 669,650.05 acres

#55 Denali National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,684 miles
• Date founded: February 26, 1917
• Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres

#56 Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,713 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres

#57 Katmai National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,718 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres

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

• Distance: 2,780 miles
• Date founded: August 2, 1956
• Park area: 15,052.53 acres

#59 Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 2,887 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres

#60 Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

• Distance: 3,027 miles
• Date founded: December 2, 1980
• Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres

#61 Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

• Distance: 3,185 miles
• Date founded: August 1, 1916
• Park area: 325,605.28 acres

#62 Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)

• Distance: 3,193 miles
• Date founded: July 1, 1961
• Park area: 33,264.62 acres

#63 National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)

• Distance: 5,440 miles
• Date founded: October 31, 1988
• Park area: 8,256.67 acres