How many national parks are in Ohio?

1: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Ohio also has 9 other National Park Service sites, such as Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Do national parks in Ohio charge an entrance fee?

No: it's free to enter, per the National Park Service. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Columbus?

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 115 miles from Columbus in a straight line, roughly 2 h 40 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Columbus is Ohio's largest city.

Ohio · 1 national park · 9 other NPS sites

National parks in Ohio

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

Ohio has one national park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 9 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument to William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Columbus, Ohio's largest city.

At a glance

Ohio, by the numbers

National parks in Ohio at a glance
National parks	1: Cuyahoga Valley
Other NPS sites	9 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Cuyahoga Valley 3,025,325 visits (#11 of 63)
Entrance fees	Free
Established	October 11, 2000
Nearest to Columbus	Cuyahoga Valley 115 mi straight-line, ≈ 2 h 40 min drive (est.)

1 national park

Ohio's national park

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Est. 2000
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
2025 visits
3,025,325
Entrance
Free entry
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
November
“Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away…” (NPS)

From Columbus

The closest national parks to Columbus

Measured from Columbus, Ohio's largest city (938,396 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Columbus
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH	115 mi	≈ 2 h 40 min
New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV	181 mi	≈ 4 h 20 min
Indiana Dunes National ParkIN	243 mi	≈ 5 h 50 min
Mammoth Cave National ParkKY	257 mi	≈ 6 h 10 min

National parks near Cincinnati →National parks near Columbus →National parks near Cleveland →

9 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

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

3 National Historic Site · 2 National Historical Park · 1 Memorial · …Show all 9

National Historic Site · 3

National Historical Park · 2

Memorial · 1

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

National Historic Trail · 1

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

National Monument · 1

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

National Scenic Trail · 1

North Country National Scenic TrailMI · MN · ND · NY · OH · PA · VT · WI

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

FAQ

Ohio, answered

How many national parks are in Ohio?: 1: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Ohio also has 9 other National Park Service sites, such as Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
Do national parks in Ohio charge an entrance fee?: No: it's free to enter, per the National Park Service. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Columbus?: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 115 miles from Columbus in a straight line, roughly 2 h 40 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Columbus is Ohio's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.Ohio: 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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