# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/101 "2016-03-29T19:24:40Z")
**National Park** - About 44 miles from the northern tip of Santa Barbara Island in Channel Islands National Park. **Any NPS administered area** - About 26 miles as the seagull flies or 38 miles and 1 hour driving around Santa Monica Bay to Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/102 "2016-03-29T20:16:45Z")
I’m a little over an hour away from Pipestone National Monument. As far as national parks, I’d have to drive at least 300 miles to get to one. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/103 "2016-03-29T20:49:12Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > I’m about an hour and change from both [Fundy National Park](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nb/fundy/index.aspx), to the south, and [Kouchibougouac National Park](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nb/kouchibouguac/visit.aspx), to the north. > > I’m hoping I can get my family out to one or both of them sometime this summer. I’m about one hour from each as well. It is a good year to go as if you buy a one year pass this year it is good for two years. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/104 "2016-03-30T05:48:48Z")
Looks like I’m the first one in to say Guadalupe Mountains National Park. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/105 "2016-03-30T11:01:45Z")
Guadalupe is tied with Big Bend and Carlsbad for the closest _western_ National Park to me. And if you divide how many times I’ve been there by the number of visitors it gets, it definitely ranks #1 (since it’s closest on the way and at a medium altitude, when I go out West it is my first stop, to start to acclimate to the elevation.) ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/106 "2016-04-09T02:04:37Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > I’m about one hour from each as well. It is a good year to go as if you buy a one year pass this year it is good for two years. Good to know, about the two years for one deal! I’m trying to find info on this on the Parks Canada website; where did you find this out? Incidentally, are you in the Moncton area? I’m about 10 minutes east of it. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/107 "2016-04-09T04:28:50Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > About 50 miles from Channel Islands National Park, though you have to swim to get there. I was going to say this. 20 miles as the crow flies. I think it’s the least visited national park. Most of the people here in Santa Barbara have never been. I have, and it’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/108 "2016-04-09T05:05:34Z")
I’m about 1-1.5 hours away from Mt. Rainier. I think I’m about 2 hours from Olympic NP, although I’m not sure where one enters that park from the S. Puget Sound area. Used to live & work in Yosemite NP. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/109 "2016-04-09T11:50:32Z")
I’m about equidistant from Great Smoky Mountains and Congaree, in terms of driving time. Congaree, because of the direction is probably a little shorter drive. I’m \*much \*closer to a number of National Battlefield parks, including Kennesaw Mountain, Chickamauga & Chattanooga as well as National Historic Sites (closest is the King Nat’l Historic Site, at just under 5 miles from home). ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091/110 "2016-04-09T12:22:26Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > Good to know, about the two years for one deal! I’m trying to find info on this on the Parks Canada website; where did you find this out? > > Incidentally, are you in the Moncton area? I’m about 10 minutes east of it. I found it on the Parks Canada page about the [Discovery pass](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/ar-sr/lpac-ppri/ced-ndp.aspx). I did also see a kicker on the main [Parks Canada](http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/index.aspx#panel1-1) page about how 2017 is going to be free for all visitors to celebrate Canada’s 150th in 2017 so you might not have to buy a 2016 pass at all. Yep, I am in Moncton. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-are-you-to-the-nearest-national-park/750091.md?page=5)