How many national parks are in Montana?

2: Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Montana also has 8 other National Park Service sites, such as Big Hole National Battlefield and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Yellowstone crosses into Idaho and Wyoming.

What is the most visited national park in Montana?

Yellowstone National Park, with 4,762,988 recreation visits in 2025, #3 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Montana was Glacier (3,136,557).

What is the newest national park in Montana?

Glacier National Park, established on May 11, 1910. The oldest is Yellowstone National Park (1872).

Do national parks in Montana charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Glacier and Yellowstone also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Billings?

Yellowstone National Park, about 127 miles from Billings in a straight line, roughly 3 h by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Billings is Montana's largest city.

Montana · 2 national parks · 8 other NPS sites

National parks in Montana

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

Montana has 2 national parks: Yellowstone and Glacier. 8 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Big Hole National Battlefield to Nez Perce National Historical Park.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Billings, Montana's largest city.

At a glance

Montana, by the numbers

National parks in Montana at a glance
National parks	2: Yellowstone and Glacier
Other NPS sites	8 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Yellowstone 4,762,988 visits (#3 of 63)
Entrance fees	$35 per vehicle
Newest national park	Glacier, May 11, 1910
Oldest national park	Yellowstone, 1872
Nearest to Billings	Yellowstone 127 mi straight-line, ≈ 3 h drive (est.)

Yellowstone (ID, MT, WY) crosses state lines; visits are for the whole park.

2 national parks

Montana's 2 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Est. 1872 · ID · MT · WY
Yellowstone National Park
2025 visits
4,762,988
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
October
“The first national park…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1910
Glacier National Park
2025 visits
3,136,557
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
June
“A showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows…” (NPS)

From Billings

The closest national parks to Billings

Measured from Billings, Montana's largest city (121,239 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Billings
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Yellowstone National ParkID · MT · WY	127 mi	≈ 3 h
Grand Teton National ParkWY	172 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Theodore Roosevelt National ParkND	262 mi	≈ 6 h 10 min
Wind Cave National ParkSD	294 mi	≈ 6 h 50 min

8 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

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

2 National Historic Site · 1 National Battlefield · 1 National Geologic Trail · …Show all 8

National Historic Site · 2

National Battlefield · 1

Big Hole National Battlefield

National Geologic Trail · 1

Ice Age Floods National Geologic TrailWA · OR · ID · MT

National Historic Trail · 1

Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIA · ID · IL · IN · KS · KY · MO · MT · NE · ND · OH · OR · PA · SD · WA · WV

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

FAQ

Montana, answered

How many national parks are in Montana?: 2: Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Montana also has 8 other National Park Service sites, such as Big Hole National Battlefield and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Yellowstone crosses into Idaho and Wyoming.
What is the most visited national park in Montana?: Yellowstone National Park, with 4,762,988 recreation visits in 2025, #3 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Montana was Glacier (3,136,557).
What is the newest national park in Montana?: Glacier National Park, established on May 11, 1910. The oldest is Yellowstone National Park (1872).
Do national parks in Montana charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Glacier and Yellowstone also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Billings?: Yellowstone National Park, about 127 miles from Billings in a straight line, roughly 3 h by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Billings is Montana's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.Montana: 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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