Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Straight line
- 111 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 2 h 40 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
Detroit · Michigan
National parks near Detroit
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Detroit is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 111 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 2 h 40 min by road on our estimate. 2 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
Detroit to the parks
| Closest national park | Cuyahoga Valley National Park 111 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 2 / 8 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Cuyahoga Valley |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | River Raisin National Battlefield Park, 35 mi |
| Metro population | 4,390,913 (Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Detroit
Photo: NPS Photo
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
- Straight line
- 211 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- $25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlin
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Straight line
- 331 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 7 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Detroit
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 | 111 mi | ≈ 2 h 40 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 2 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 211 mi | ≈ 5 h | 2,629,497 | September |
| 3 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 331 mi | ≈ 7 h 50 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 4 | Shenandoah National ParkVA | 363 mi | ≈ 8 h 40 min | 1,682,152 | November |
| 5 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 393 mi | ≈ 9 h 20 min | 660,734 | May |
| 6 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 454 mi | ≈ 10 h 40 min | 2,209,028 | August |
| 7 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 469 mi | ≈ 11 h 10 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 8 | Isle Royale National ParkMI | 478 mi | Isle Royale is not reachable by road | 29,091 | September |
No drive estimate for Isle Royale: NPS says it's reached by boat or plane.
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Detroit
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 111 mi from Detroit
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 393 mi from Detroit
See the route →
Closer to home
National Park Service sites within 200 miles
Not national parks, but run by the same Park Service: monuments, historic sites, seashores and recreation areas. Links go to nps.gov.
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park35 mi · MI
- Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial53 mi · OH
- James A Garfield National Historic Site103 mi · OH
- First Ladies National Historic Site141 mi · OH
- Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park187 mi · OH
- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument189 mi · OH
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Detroit, answered
- What is the closest national park to Detroit?
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 111 miles from Detroit 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: Indiana Dunes (211 mi) and New River Gorge (331 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Detroit?
- 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 Detroit?
- 3 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Cuyahoga Valley, Indiana Dunes and New River Gorge. 2 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Detroit?
- Yes. Within 200 miles there are 6 other NPS sites, the nearest being River Raisin National Battlefield Park (35 mi), Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (53 mi) and James A Garfield National Historic Site (103 mi).
Sources · 6
- 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 2 moreShow fewer
- 5.NPS park directions text used for road access · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 6.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 Detroit city, Michigan. Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (2025 estimate).
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