How many national parks are in Arizona?

3: Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park and Petrified Forest National Park. Arizona also has 22 other National Park Service sites, such as Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail and Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

What is the most visited national park in Arizona?

Grand Canyon National Park, with 4,430,653 recreation visits in 2025, #4 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Arizona was Petrified Forest (315,951).

What is the newest national park in Arizona?

Saguaro National Park, established on October 14, 1994. The oldest is Grand Canyon National Park (1919).

Do national parks in Arizona charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run $25 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Grand Canyon also charges nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Phoenix?

Saguaro National Park, about 122 miles from Phoenix in a straight line, roughly 2 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Phoenix is Arizona's largest city.

Arizona · 3 national parks · 22 other NPS sites

National parks in Arizona

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

Arizona has 3 national parks: Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest. 22 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail to Wupatki National Monument.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Phoenix, Arizona's largest city.

At a glance

Arizona, by the numbers

National parks in Arizona at a glance
National parks	3: Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest
Other NPS sites	22 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Grand Canyon 4,430,653 visits (#4 of 63)
Entrance fees	$25 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle
Newest national park	Saguaro, October 14, 1994
Oldest national park	Grand Canyon, 1919
Nearest to Phoenix	Saguaro 122 mi straight-line, ≈ 2 h 50 min drive (est.)

3 national parks

Arizona's 3 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS/M. Quinn
Est. 1919
Grand Canyon National Park
2025 visits
4,430,653
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
November
“One of the most spectacular examples of erosion…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1994
Saguaro National Park
2025 visits
847,749
Entrance
$25 / vehicle
Busiest month
March
Quiet month
April
“The nation's largest cacti…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1962
Petrified Forest National Park
2025 visits
315,951
Entrance
$25 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
April
“Protects ancient fossils, ancestral Puebloan sites…” (NPS)

From Phoenix

The closest national parks to Phoenix

Measured from Phoenix, Arizona's largest city (1,665,481 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Phoenix
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Saguaro National ParkAZ	122 mi	≈ 2 h 50 min
Petrified Forest National ParkAZ	164 mi	≈ 3 h 50 min
Grand Canyon National ParkAZ	168 mi	≈ 4 h
Joshua Tree National ParkCA	217 mi	≈ 5 h 10 min

National parks near Phoenix →

22 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every other place the National Park Service lists for Arizona, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.

13 National Monument · 3 National Historic Trail · 2 National Historic Site · …Show all 22

National Monument · 13

National Historic Trail · 3

Butterfield Overland National Historic TrailMO · AR · OK · TX · NM · AZ · CA
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailAZ · CA
Old Spanish National Historic TrailAZ · CA · CO · NV · NM · UT

National Historic Site · 2

From the NPS Data API; the same list as Arizona's page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.

FAQ

Arizona, answered

How many national parks are in Arizona?: 3: Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park and Petrified Forest National Park. Arizona also has 22 other National Park Service sites, such as Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail and Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
What is the most visited national park in Arizona?: Grand Canyon National Park, with 4,430,653 recreation visits in 2025, #4 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Arizona was Petrified Forest (315,951).
What is the newest national park in Arizona?: Saguaro National Park, established on October 14, 1994. The oldest is Grand Canyon National Park (1919).
Do national parks in Arizona charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run $25 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Grand Canyon also charges nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Phoenix?: Saguaro National Park, about 122 miles from Phoenix in a straight line, roughly 2 h 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Phoenix is Arizona's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.Arizona: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
4.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
5.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

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National parks in Arizona

Arizona, by the numbers

Arizona's 3 national parks

Grand Canyon National Park

Saguaro National Park

Petrified Forest National Park