Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Straight line
- 115 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 2 h 40 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
Columbus · Ohio
National parks near Columbus
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Columbus is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 115 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 2 h 40 min by road on our estimate. 5 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
Columbus to the parks
| Closest national park | Cuyahoga Valley National Park 115 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 5 / 8 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Cuyahoga Valley |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, 47 mi |
| Metro population | 2,242,028 (Columbus, OH metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Columbus
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlin
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Straight line
- 181 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
- Straight line
- 243 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- $25 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Columbus
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 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 115 mi | ≈ 2 h 40 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 2 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 181 mi | ≈ 4 h 20 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 3 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 243 mi | ≈ 5 h 50 min | 2,629,497 | September |
| 4 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 257 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 660,734 | May |
| 5 | Shenandoah National ParkVA | 263 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 1,682,152 | November |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 304 mi | ≈ 7 h 10 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 7 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 396 mi | ≈ 9 h 20 min | 2,209,028 | August |
| 8 | Congaree National ParkSC | 445 mi | ≈ 10 h 30 min | 287,833 | February |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Columbus
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
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 115 mi from Columbus
See the route →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 257 mi from Columbus
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.
- Hopewell Culture National Historical Park47 mi · OH
- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument52 mi · OH
- Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park61 mi · OH
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Columbus, answered
- What is the closest national park to Columbus?
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 115 miles from Columbus in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 2 h 40 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: New River Gorge (181 mi) and Indiana Dunes (243 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Columbus?
- Yes: Cuyahoga Valley is within about 3 hours by our estimate. Check the park's nps.gov page for entrances and current road conditions.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of Columbus?
- 6 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge, Indiana Dunes, Mammoth Cave, Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains. 5 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Columbus?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 3 other NPS sites, the nearest being Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (47 mi), Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (52 mi) and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park (61 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 Columbus city, Ohio. Metro: Columbus, OH (2025 estimate).
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