How many national parks are in Colorado?

4: Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Colorado also has 13 other National Park Service sites, such as Amache National Historic Site and Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site.

What is the most visited national park in Colorado?

Rocky Mountain National Park, with 4,171,431 recreation visits in 2025, #6 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Colorado was Black Canyon of the Gunnison (250,086).

What is the newest national park in Colorado?

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, established on September 24, 2004. The oldest is Mesa Verde National Park (1906).

Do national parks in Colorado charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run $25 per vehicle to $30 per vehicle. From 2026, Rocky Mountain 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 Denver?

Rocky Mountain National Park, about 60 miles from Denver in a straight line, roughly 1 h 20 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Denver is Colorado's largest city.

Colorado · 4 national parks · 13 other NPS sites

National parks in Colorado

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

Colorado has 4 national parks: Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. 13 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Amache National Historic Site to Yucca House National Monument.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Denver, Colorado's largest city.

At a glance

Colorado, by the numbers

National parks in Colorado at a glance
National parks	4: Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Other NPS sites	13 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Rocky Mountain 4,171,431 visits (#6 of 63)
Entrance fees	$25 per vehicle to $30 per vehicle
Newest national park	Great Sand Dunes, September 24, 2004
Oldest national park	Mesa Verde, 1906
Nearest to Denver	Rocky Mountain 60 mi straight-line, ≈ 1 h 20 min drive (est.)

4 national parks

Colorado's 4 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS/J.Marino
Est. 1915
Rocky Mountain National Park
2025 visits
4,171,431
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
September
“Encompasses a spectacular range of mountain environments…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1906
Mesa Verde National Park
2025 visits
463,130
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
May
“For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built……” (NPS)
Photo: NPS/Patrick Myers
Est. 2004
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
2025 visits
432,498
Entrance
$25 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
August
“The tallest dunes in North America…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo/Lynch
Est. 1999
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
2025 visits
250,086
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
October
“The result is a vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky…” (NPS)

From Denver

The closest national parks to Denver

Measured from Denver, Colorado's largest city (740,613 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Denver
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Rocky Mountain National ParkCO	60 mi	≈ 1 h 20 min
Great Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveCO	141 mi	≈ 3 h 20 min
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkCO	173 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Mesa Verde National ParkCO	261 mi	≈ 6 h 10 min

National parks near Denver →

13 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

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

5 National Monument · 4 National Historic Trail · 3 National Historic Site · …Show all 13

National Monument · 5

National Historic Trail · 4

California National Historic TrailCA · CO · ID · KS · MO · NE · NV · OR · UT · WY
Old Spanish National Historic TrailAZ · CA · CO · NV · NM · UT
Pony Express National Historic TrailCA · CO · KS · MO · NE · NV · UT · WY
Santa Fe National Historic TrailCO · KS · MO · NM · OK

National Historic Site · 3

National Recreation Area · 1

Curecanti National Recreation Area

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

FAQ

Colorado, answered

How many national parks are in Colorado?: 4: Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Colorado also has 13 other National Park Service sites, such as Amache National Historic Site and Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site.
What is the most visited national park in Colorado?: Rocky Mountain National Park, with 4,171,431 recreation visits in 2025, #6 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Colorado was Black Canyon of the Gunnison (250,086).
What is the newest national park in Colorado?: Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, established on September 24, 2004. The oldest is Mesa Verde National Park (1906).
Do national parks in Colorado charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run $25 per vehicle to $30 per vehicle. From 2026, Rocky Mountain 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 Denver?: Rocky Mountain National Park, about 60 miles from Denver in a straight line, roughly 1 h 20 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Denver is Colorado's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.Colorado: 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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