Photo: NPS / Bob Carr
North Carolina · Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Straight line
- 137 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 3 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
Atlanta · Georgia
National parks near Atlanta
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Atlanta is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 137 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 3 h 10 min by road on our estimate. 3 national parks are within 300 miles. Here are the nearest 8, a few road trips, and the Park Service sites even closer to home.
At a glance
Atlanta to the parks
| Closest national park | Great Smoky Mountains National Park 137 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 3 / 7 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | None |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, 3 mi |
| Metro population | 6,482,182 (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Atlanta
Photo: NPS
South Carolina
Congaree National Park
- Straight line
- 211 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h
- Quiet month
- February
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo / J. Cooper
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park
- Straight line
- 256 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 6 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Atlanta
Straight-line miles from the city to each park's NPS reference point (often its center, not an entrance). Drive times are a rough estimate: miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route.
| # | Park | Straight line | Drive (est.) | 2025 visits | Quiet month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 137 mi | ≈ 3 h 10 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 2 | Congaree National ParkSC | 211 mi | ≈ 5 h | 287,833 | February |
| 3 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 256 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 660,734 | May |
| 4 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 342 mi | ≈ 8 h 10 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 5 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 465 mi | ≈ 11 h | 2,209,028 | August |
| 6 | Shenandoah National ParkVA | 466 mi | ≈ 11 h | 1,682,152 | November |
| 7 | Hot Springs National ParkAR | 497 mi | ≈ 11 h 40 min | 2,494,611 | August |
| 8 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 541 mi | ≈ 12 h 50 min | 3,025,325 | November |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Atlanta
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
2 parks · KY · NC · TN
Great Smoky Mountains & Mammoth Cave
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Mammoth Cave+ ≈ 4 h 20 min
≈ 4 h 20 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 137 mi from Atlanta
See the route →3 parks · OH · VA · WV
Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge & Shenandoah
- Cuyahoga Valley
- New River Gorge+ ≈ 5 h 40 min
- Shenandoah+ ≈ 3 h 20 min
≈ 9 h of driving between parks · the nearest is 342 mi from Atlanta
See the route →
Closer to home
National Park Service sites within 100 miles
Not national parks, but run by the same Park Service: monuments, historic sites, seashores and recreation areas. Links go to nps.gov.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park3 mi · GA
- Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park16 mi · GA
- Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area18 mi · GA
- Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park80 mi · GA
- Little River Canyon National Preserve82 mi · AL
- Freedom Riders National Monument86 mi · AL
- Horseshoe Bend National Military Park93 mi · AL
- Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park95 mi · GA · TN
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Atlanta, answered
- What is the closest national park to Atlanta?
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 137 miles from Atlanta in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 3 h 10 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Congaree (211 mi) and Mammoth Cave (256 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Atlanta?
- Not easily. The closest, Great Smoky Mountains, is about 3 h 10 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of Atlanta?
- 3 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Great Smoky Mountains, Congaree and Mammoth Cave. 3 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Atlanta?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 8 other NPS sites, the nearest being Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (3 mi), Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (16 mi) and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (18 mi).
Sources · 5
- 1.Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
- 2.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
- 3.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau
- 4.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 5.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
City location: the U.S. Census Bureau’s internal point for Atlanta city, Georgia. Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (2025 estimate).
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