Small towns next to national parks
Gateway towns within 15 miles of a national park, measured to the park's boundary. Up to three towns per park, closest first.
How we picked
- A National Park (not a monument or historic site) within 15 miles, straight line, of the town (National Park Service boundaries)
- 1,000 to 75,000 people, and not a suburb
- Listed by park, closest towns first
| National park | Town | Miles to the park | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park | Bar Harbor, ME | Next to it | 5,352 | $538,400 |
| Acadia National Park | Mount Desert, ME | Next to it | 2,214 | $522,100 |
| Acadia National Park | Southwest Harbor, ME | Next to it | 1,873 | $428,500 |
| Arches National Park | Moab, UT | 2 | 5,206 | $518,900 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Montrose, CO | 7 | 21,583 | $387,900 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Olathe, CO | 8 | 1,927 | $245,600 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Orchard City, CO | 14 | 3,299 | $324,300 |
| Canyonlands National Park | Moab, UT | 13 | 5,206 | $518,900 |
| Channel Islands National Park | Camarillo, CA | 13 | 68,652 | $827,300 |
| Channel Islands National Park | Santa Paula, CA | 14 | 31,774 | $611,200 |
| Congaree National Park | St. Matthews, SC | 7 | 1,827 | $204,200 |
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park | Chesterland, OH | 13 | 7,086 | $297,800 |
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park | Clinton, OH | 13 | 1,195 | $185,000 |
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park | Mantua, OH | 14 | 1,005 | $179,200 |
| Everglades National Park | Key Largo, FL | Next to it | 13,026 | $643,900 |
| Everglades National Park | Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL | 2 | 6,955 | $919,600 |
| Everglades National Park | Marathon, FL | 15 | 10,060 | $725,800 |
| Gateway Arch National Park | Millstadt, IL | 12 | 3,950 | $230,500 |
| Glacier National Park | Columbia Falls, MT | 8 | 5,753 | $384,400 |
| Glacier National Park | Whitefish, MT | 11 | 9,358 | $684,300 |
| Glacier National Park | North Browning, MT | 13 | 3,144 | $187,500 |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Page, AZ | 7 | 7,147 | $304,300 |
| Grand Teton National Park | Jackson, WY | 5 | 10,720 | $1,521,900 |
| Grand Teton National Park | Victor, ID | 8 | 2,589 | $617,300 |
| Grand Teton National Park | Driggs, ID | 11 | 2,403 | $525,100 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Gatlinburg, TN | 1 | 3,715 | $332,000 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Bryson City, NC | 2 | 1,525 | $243,400 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Maggie Valley, NC | 3 | 1,748 | $320,500 |
| Haleakala National Park | Kula, HI | 5 | 6,791 | $1,127,700 |
| Haleakala National Park | Keokea, HI | 7 | 2,892 | $728,400 |
| Haleakala National Park | Makawao, HI | 7 | 7,353 | $888,000 |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park | Hawaiian Ocean View, HI | 2 | 4,431 | $318,200 |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park | Honaunau-Napoopoo, HI | 8 | 2,629 | $836,100 |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park | Mountain View, HI | 8 | 3,756 | $356,800 |
| Hot Springs National Park | Hot Springs, AR | 1 | 37,979 | $165,500 |
| Hot Springs National Park | Hot Springs Village, AR | 8 | 16,327 | $272,000 |
| Hot Springs National Park | Malvern, AR | 15 | 11,144 | $104,500 |
| Indiana Dunes National Park | Michigan City, IN | 3 | 31,338 | $143,100 |
| Indiana Dunes National Park | La Porte, IN | 6 | 22,600 | $157,500 |
| Indiana Dunes National Park | Westville, IN | 6 | 5,387 | $139,300 |
| Joshua Tree National Park | Joshua Tree, CA | Next to it | 6,234 | $334,200 |
| Joshua Tree National Park | Twentynine Palms, CA | 2 | 25,939 | $268,200 |
| Joshua Tree National Park | Yucca Valley, CA | 2 | 21,887 | $363,400 |
| Kenai Fjords National Park | Seward, AK | 5 | 2,892 | $338,100 |
| Kings Canyon National Park | Squaw Valley, CA | 12 | 3,361 | $271,700 |
| Kings Canyon National Park | West Bishop, CA | 15 | 2,551 | $615,600 |
| Mammoth Cave National Park | Cave City, KY | 3 | 2,398 | $116,700 |
| Mammoth Cave National Park | Horse Cave, KY | 5 | 2,276 | $113,700 |
| Mammoth Cave National Park | Munfordville, KY | 6 | 1,730 | $119,000 |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Cortez, CO | 5 | 9,126 | $272,900 |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Mancos, CO | 6 | 1,266 | $353,200 |
| Mount Rainier National Park | Eatonville, WA | 10 | 2,861 | $431,000 |
| Mount Rainier National Park | Morton, WA | 15 | 1,102 | $300,900 |
| New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | Hinton, WV | Next to it | 2,149 | $92,900 |
| New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | Ansted, WV | 2 | 1,273 | $68,700 |
| New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | Beckley, WV | 5 | 16,373 | $158,000 |
| Olympic National Park | Port Angeles, WA | 1 | 20,146 | $370,200 |
| Olympic National Park | Port Angeles East, WA | 3 | 3,137 | $347,600 |
| Olympic National Park | Forks, WA | 7 | 3,488 | $227,200 |
| Petrified Forest National Park | Holbrook, AZ | 11 | 4,866 | $163,600 |
| Pinnacles National Park | Soledad, CA | 5 | 26,357 | $595,900 |
| Pinnacles National Park | Greenfield, CA | 7 | 21,138 | $531,400 |
| Pinnacles National Park | Gonzales, CA | 11 | 8,313 | $618,800 |
| Redwood National Park | Crescent City, CA | 2 | 6,002 | $306,500 |
| Redwood National Park | McKinleyville, CA | 11 | 17,113 | $457,600 |
| Redwood National Park | Blue Lake, CA | 14 | 1,144 | $445,200 |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Estes Park, CO | 1 | 5,780 | $664,200 |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Granby, CO | 9 | 2,392 | $567,100 |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Lyons, CO | 13 | 2,119 | $845,400 |
| Saguaro National Park | Rincon Valley, AZ | 1 | 6,512 | $547,300 |
| Saguaro National Park | Picture Rocks, AZ | 2 | 9,448 | $230,300 |
| Saguaro National Park | Vail, AZ | 7 | 16,315 | $414,600 |
| Sequoia National Park | Woodlake, CA | 13 | 8,073 | $300,200 |
| Shenandoah National Park | Elkton, VA | 1 | 3,136 | $246,800 |
| Shenandoah National Park | Front Royal, VA | 1 | 15,722 | $314,400 |
| Shenandoah National Park | Grottoes, VA | 1 | 3,099 | $275,700 |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park | Watford City, ND | 12 | 6,378 | $408,500 |
| Voyageurs National Park | International Falls, MN | 9 | 5,481 | $120,400 |
| White Sands National Park | Alamogordo, NM | 11 | 31,906 | $172,900 |
| Wind Cave National Park | Hot Springs, SD | 5 | 3,670 | $202,600 |
| Wind Cave National Park | Custer, SD | 10 | 1,803 | $235,600 |
| Yellowstone National Park | West Yellowstone, MT | Next to it | 1,191 | $504,300 |
| Yosemite National Park | Oakhurst, CA | 11 | 6,091 | $392,600 |
| Zion National Park | La Verkin, UT | 7 | 4,515 | $393,300 |
| Zion National Park | Hildale, UT | 9 | 1,319 | $379,200 |
| Zion National Park | Toquerville, UT | 9 | 1,999 | $563,200 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2025 population estimates; American Community Survey 2020-2024), Medicare hospital data, NOAA climate normals, the National Park Service and the Education Department, as on each town page. Census survey figures are estimates; towns where the survey is too thin for a figure are left off lists that use it. Miles are straight-line. Data last updated October 5, 2026.
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