What is the closest national park to Austin?

Big Bend National Park, about 336 miles from Austin in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 7 h 50 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Hot Springs (400 mi) and Carlsbad Caverns (421 mi).

Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Austin?

Not easily. The closest, Big Bend, is about 7 h 50 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.

How many national parks are within a day's drive of Austin?

1 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Big Bend. 0 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.

Are there National Park Service sites closer to Austin?

Yes. Within 100 miles there are 3 other NPS sites, the nearest being Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park (51 mi), San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (79 mi) and Waco Mammoth National Monument (97 mi).

Austin · Texas

National parks near Austin

Last verified October 1, 2026Straight-line miles · drive times estimated

The closest national park to Austin is Big Bend National Park, about 336 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 7 h 50 min by road on our estimate. No national parks are within 300 miles. Here are the nearest 8, a few road trips, and the Park Service sites even closer to home.

★ Austin. Numbers match the list below; dashed lines are straight-line distance.

At a glance

Austin to the parks

National parks near Austin at a glance
Closest national park	Big Bend National Park 336 mi straight-line
Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles	0 / 0 / 4 national parks
Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.)	None
Closest NPS site of any kind	Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, 51 mi
Metro population	2,620,945 (Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro, Census 2025 est.)

The closest three

Nearest to Austin

Photo: NPS
Texas
Big Bend National Park
Straight line
336 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 7 h 50 min
Quiet month
February
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo
Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park
Straight line
400 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 9 h 30 min
Quiet month
August
Entrance
Free entry
Photo: NPS / Michael Larson
New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Straight line
421 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 10 h
Quiet month
February
Entrance
$15 / person

The nearest 8

National parks by distance from Austin

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.

National parks nearest Austin, with straight-line distance and estimated drive time
#	Park	Straight line	Drive (est.)	2025 visits	Quiet month
1	Big Bend National ParkTX	336 mi	≈ 7 h 50 min	568,104	February
2	Hot Springs National ParkAR	400 mi	≈ 9 h 30 min	2,494,611	August
3	Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNM	421 mi	≈ 10 h	410,778	February
4	Guadalupe Mountains National ParkTX	436 mi	≈ 10 h 20 min	206,423	February
5	White Sands National ParkNM	533 mi	≈ 12 h 40 min	659,742	February
6	Great Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveCO	685 mi	≈ 16 h 10 min	432,498	August
7	Gateway Arch National ParkMO	718 mi	≈ 17 h	2,209,028	August
8	Petrified Forest National ParkAZ	771 mi	≈ 18 h 10 min	315,951	April

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.

Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park51 mi · TX
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park79 mi · TX
Waco Mammoth National Monument97 mi · TX

Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.

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