# How close are you to the nearest National Park? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091 "2016-03-25T03:07:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/41 "2016-03-25T16:24:01Z")
In May I will be moving back to Vancouver Island where I’ll be just down the road from Englishman River Falls: > **[Englishman River Falls Park | BC Parks](https://bcparks.ca/englishman-river-falls-park/)** > > Situated along the pristine Englishman River, north of Nanaimo, Englishman River Falls Park features two stunning waterfalls cascading along the descending r... ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/42 "2016-03-25T16:27:24Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Mount Rainer is 2+ hours away. About an hour and a half for me, just to the entrance to the park though. I’m 28 minutes from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. I think that qualifies as a park even though it’s not in the name, right? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/43 "2016-03-25T16:33:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Lincoln Cottage in DC? That appears to be part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private non-profit. Wikipedia lists it as a national monument, but like I said, I’ve never been in it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/44 "2016-03-25T16:53:09Z")
About 2 miles from the closest part of Camino Las Cruces National Park near Panama City. About 1 mile from Metropolitan Nature Park, which is part of the national protected areas system but not officially a National Park. I can be at Metropolitan Park in 10 minutes and Camino Las Cruces in 15 if there’s no traffic. A great thing about Panama City is that we have green areas so close (or like Metropolitan Park even inside) the city. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/45 "2016-03-25T16:53:27Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > As with the many/most other Chicago area Dopers, about an hour from the Indiana Dunes. Designated a National Lakeshore or something, rather than National Park per se. Used to be 20 min away, and walked my dog there daily. That was nice. > > Also, I&M National Historic Corridor is less than 20 min away, but that is essentially a bikepath along an old canal. In Chicago proper, there’s the [Pullman National Monument](https://www.nps.gov/pull/index.htm), which isn’t a National Park but is run by the National Park Service. Not much there of actual Pullman facilities but an interesting neighborhood easy to get to; I’ve been there by train (half-hour or less from downtown, 111th St. station right across the street) and bicycle. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/46 "2016-03-25T16:57:06Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Wikipedia lists it as a national monument, but like I said, I’ve never been in it. You’re right, it’s a national monument that is administered by the NPS, but restored and operated by the National Trust for Historical Preservation. It’s a complex system we have set up. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/47 "2016-03-25T16:58:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m another Cuyahoga Valley-er. I’ve heard that it’s actually the most visited of the national parks, even ahead of Yellowstone, which is no doubt due to it being the closest to a major metropolitan area. It still feels funny to think of it as a “National Park”, though: That’s supposed to be those big places out West in the middle of nowhere. It’s still stuck in my head that it’s a “National Recreational Area”. Last week I drove by a sign that said something about “For NPS Employees” and I was like “huh, that’s nice that they National Park Service has access to take care of our little park.” Then I remembered oh yeah, it’s THEIR little park! I believe that it is the most visited! I’ve gone for the last 2 weeks on weekday nights and all the parking lots were packed! Just with people walking the trails. In the middle of March! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/48 "2016-03-25T17:12:04Z")
According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_the_United_States) Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park at 10,000,000 a year, which jibes with my past understanding, with Cuyahoga at 2,000,000. I would think that some of GSM’s count would be due to the highway running through it which would mean that a lot of “visitors” are just travelling from/to TN or NC, but the Wikipedia list does specify _recreation_ visitors. I’m not sure how they tell the difference since I’m sure during the fall a lot of people just travel the highway and never get out, just to see the foliage. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/49 "2016-03-25T17:13:07Z")
My current location is about three miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/50 "2016-03-25T17:28:26Z")
My home is approximately 850 metres (2800 feet) from the nearest edge of the [Table Mountain National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain_National_Park). (Which doesn’t make me particularly special since there are probably hundreds of thousand of people living within a similar distance of the park.) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/51 "2016-03-25T17:39:36Z")
36 miles from Fort Washington. About a 45-minute drive. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/52 "2016-03-25T17:39:46Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > I’m a little over an hour east of Rocky Mountain National Park. Lucky me. Sincerely. Very lucky me. The same, except we’re more southeast than east of RMNP. The views from here do not suck. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/53 "2016-03-25T17:46:52Z")
According to the handy map posted earlier, Isle Royale is the closest to me, though I’m not far from Voyageurs being closer. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is closer, and the [St Croix National Scenic Riverway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix_National_Scenic_Riverway) is even closer. Brian ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/54 "2016-03-25T18:26:50Z")
Counting only the 59 National Parks and not other areas administered by the National Park Service: From home, Acadia is the closest, about 3½ hours by car. Well, technically Parc National du Mont-Orford just outside Sherbrooke QC is a little closer. Despite its name it’s actually a provincial park of Quebec and not a national park of Canada. From where I am right now, Shenandoah is closest, about 2½ hours by car. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/55 "2016-03-25T18:33:21Z")
If you want to be rigid about the definition, then Acadia is the nearest. It’s four-ish hours away, if there’s little traffic. But you have to stop at LL Bean, practically by law, and for lunch in Camden, so it’s a pretty full day’s drive. If you want to relax your definition to the point where the rangers driving the trucks are paid by the Feds and go home when Ted Cruz shuts down the government, then I live reasonably close to the Plum Island Wildlife refuge. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/56 "2016-03-25T18:59:55Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Here is an interesting map to see what is closest to you > [http://io9.gizmodo.com/find-the-closest-national-park-with-this-handy-map-1556952605](http://io9.gizmodo.com/find-the-closest-national-park-with-this-handy-map-1556952605) According to that, I’m about equally far from both Mt. Rainier & Olympic national parks, and only slightly further away from North Cascades. I’m pretty sure drive time to all three parks is about 2 hours, give or take. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/57 "2016-03-25T19:24:11Z")
8.7 miles to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, i.e. the Gateway Arch. [The park was established to commemorate: The Louisiana Purchase, and the subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers; The first civil government west of the Mississippi River; and The debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case.]([Gateway Arch National Park - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_National_Expansion_Memorial)) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/58 "2016-03-25T19:32:32Z")
It depends on if you count National Recreation Areas and National Historical Parks. Gateway National Recreation Area is about 1.5 hours away although there are other shore locations I would rather go to. Morristown National Historical Park is about an hour away. For a National Park it looks like Shenandoah is about 5.5 hours away. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/59 "2016-03-25T20:01:25Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Here is an interesting map to see what is closest to you > [http://io9.gizmodo.com/find-the-closest-national-park-with-this-handy-map-1556952605](http://io9.gizmodo.com/find-the-closest-national-park-with-this-handy-map-1556952605) Thank you for this - I didn’t know that there was a Hot Springs National Park, but I’m about 420 miles from it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/60 "2016-03-25T20:13:52Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It depends on if you count National Recreation Areas and National Historical Parks. I’m not sure since I’m not the OP, but I’d say National Forests would be closer since the outdoors experience, should you be seeking that, is more comparable to National Parks than what you could find in most Historical Parks. I have not been to a National Recreation Area but from what I hear some of them are also fairly close to a national park as far as the experience goes and some of them aren’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091.md?page=4)