What is the closest national park to Kansas City?

Gateway Arch National Park, about 237 miles from Kansas City in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 5 h 40 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Hot Springs (328 mi) and Indiana Dunes (429 mi).

Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Kansas City?

Not easily. The closest, Gateway Arch, is about 5 h 40 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.

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

2 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Gateway Arch and Hot Springs. 1 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.

Are there National Park Service sites closer to Kansas City?

Yes. Within 100 miles there are 3 other NPS sites, the nearest being Harry S Truman National Historic Site (14 mi), Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park (61 mi) and Fort Scott National Historic Site (89 mi).

Kansas City · Missouri

National parks near Kansas City

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

The closest national park to Kansas City is Gateway Arch National Park, about 237 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 5 h 40 min by road on our estimate. 1 national park is within 300 miles. Here are the nearest 8, a few road trips, and the Park Service sites even closer to home.

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

At a glance

Kansas City to the parks

National parks near Kansas City at a glance
Closest national park	Gateway Arch National Park 237 mi straight-line
Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles	0 / 1 / 4 national parks
Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.)	None
Closest NPS site of any kind	Harry S Truman National Historic Site, 14 mi
Metro population	2,270,682 (Kansas City, MO-KS metro, Census 2025 est.)

The closest three

Nearest to Kansas City

Photo: NPS Photo/Sue Ford
Missouri
Gateway Arch National Park
Straight line
237 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 5 h 40 min
Quiet month
August
Entrance
Free entry
Photo: NPS photo
Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park
Straight line
328 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 7 h 50 min
Quiet month
August
Entrance
Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
Straight line
429 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 10 h 10 min
Quiet month
September
Entrance
$25 / vehicle

The nearest 8

National parks by distance from Kansas City

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 Kansas City, with straight-line distance and estimated drive time
#	Park	Straight line	Drive (est.)	2025 visits	Quiet month
1	Gateway Arch National ParkMO	237 mi	≈ 5 h 40 min	2,209,028	August
2	Hot Springs National ParkAR	328 mi	≈ 7 h 50 min	2,494,611	August
3	Indiana Dunes National ParkIN	429 mi	≈ 10 h 10 min	2,629,497	September
4	Mammoth Cave National ParkKY	476 mi	≈ 11 h 20 min	660,734	May
5	Badlands National ParkSD	518 mi	≈ 12 h 10 min	1,139,361	May
6	Wind Cave National ParkSD	554 mi	≈ 13 h 10 min	606,258	May
7	Rocky Mountain National ParkCO	598 mi	≈ 14 h 10 min	4,171,431	September
8	Great Sand Dunes National Park & PreserveCO	604 mi	≈ 14 h 20 min	432,498	August

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.

Harry S Truman National Historic Site14 mi · MO
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park61 mi · KS
Fort Scott National Historic Site89 mi · KS

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

FAQ