What is the closest national park to Wilmington?

Shenandoah National Park, about 179 miles from Wilmington in a straight line, roughly 4 h 10 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Wilmington is Delaware's largest city.

Delaware · 0 national parks · 4 other NPS sites

Does Delaware have a national park?

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

No. Delaware has no national park, but it has 4 National Park Service sites, including Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Chesapeake Bay and First State National Historical Park. The nearest national park to Wilmington is Shenandoah National Park, 179 miles away as the crow flies.

The 3 nearest national parks. ★ Wilmington, Delaware's largest city.

At a glance

Delaware, by the numbers

National parks in Delaware at a glance
National parks	None
NPS sites	4 see nps.gov
Nearest to Wilmington	Shenandoah 179 mi straight-line, ≈ 4 h 10 min drive (est.)

From Wilmington

The closest national parks to Delaware

Measured from Wilmington, Delaware's largest city (73,512 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Wilmington
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Shenandoah National ParkVA	179 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV	321 mi	≈ 7 h 40 min
Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH	334 mi	≈ 7 h 50 min
Acadia National ParkME	494 mi	≈ 11 h 40 min

4 NPS sites

Delaware's National Park Service sites

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

2 National Historic Trail · 1 National Historical Park · 1 Other NPS siteShow all 4

National Historic Trail · 2

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic TrailVA · MD · DE · DC · PA · NY
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic TrailMA · RI · CT · NY · NJ · PA · DE · MD · VA · DC

National Historical Park · 1

First State National Historical ParkDE · PA

Other NPS site · 1

Chesapeake BayDC · DE · MD · NY · PA · VA · WV

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

FAQ

Delaware, answered

Does Delaware have a national park?: No. Delaware has no national park, but it has 4 National Park Service sites, including Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Chesapeake Bay and First State National Historical Park. The closest national park to Wilmington is Shenandoah National Park, about 179 miles away in a straight line.
What is the closest national park to Wilmington?: Shenandoah National Park, about 179 miles from Wilmington in a straight line, roughly 4 h 10 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Wilmington is Delaware's largest city.

Sources · 4

1.Delaware: 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.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
4.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

Keep exploring

Park'd · free on iPhone & Android

Your parks map, in your pocket.

Park'd for iPhone and Android: check off every national park on a map, log trips with photos, notes and a favorite memory, and watch your stats and badges grow.