Photo: NPS photo
Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park
- Straight line
- 180 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- August
- Entrance
- Free entry
Memphis · Tennessee
National parks near Memphis
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Memphis is Hot Springs National Park, about 180 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 4 h 20 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
Memphis to the parks
| Closest national park | Hot Springs National Park 180 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 0 / 3 / 5 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | None |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, 82 mi |
| Metro population | 1,341,412 (Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Memphis
Photo: NPS Photo/Sue Ford
Missouri
Gateway Arch National Park
- Straight line
- 243 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- August
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo / J. Cooper
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park
- Straight line
- 258 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 6 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Memphis
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 | Hot Springs National ParkAR | 180 mi | ≈ 4 h 20 min | 2,494,611 | August |
| 2 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 243 mi | ≈ 5 h 50 min | 2,209,028 | August |
| 3 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 258 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 660,734 | May |
| 4 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 366 mi | ≈ 8 h 40 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 5 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 477 mi | ≈ 11 h 20 min | 2,629,497 | September |
| 6 | Congaree National ParkSC | 533 mi | ≈ 12 h 40 min | 287,833 | February |
| 7 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 533 mi | ≈ 12 h 40 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 8 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 623 mi | ≈ 14 h 40 min | 3,025,325 | November |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Memphis
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 258 mi from Memphis
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.
- Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site82 mi · MS
- Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument82 mi · IL · MS
- Tupelo National Battlefield92 mi · MS
- Shiloh National Military Park92 mi · TN · MS
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Memphis, answered
- What is the closest national park to Memphis?
- Hot Springs National Park, about 180 miles from Memphis in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 4 h 20 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Gateway Arch (243 mi) and Mammoth Cave (258 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Memphis?
- Not easily. The closest, Hot Springs, is about 4 h 20 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of Memphis?
- 3 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Hot Springs, Gateway Arch and Mammoth Cave. 3 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Memphis?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 4 other NPS sites, the nearest being Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (82 mi), Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument (82 mi) and Tupelo National Battlefield (92 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 Memphis city, Tennessee. Metro: Memphis, TN-MS-AR (2025 estimate).
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