What is the closest national park to Minneapolis?

Voyageurs National Park, about 244 miles from Minneapolis in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 5 h 50 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Isle Royale (298 mi) and Indiana Dunes (386 mi).

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

Not easily. The closest, Voyageurs, is about 5 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 Minneapolis?

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

Are there National Park Service sites closer to Minneapolis?

Yes. Within 200 miles there are 5 other NPS sites, the nearest being Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (8 mi), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (67 mi) and Pipestone National Monument (164 mi).

Minneapolis · Minnesota

National parks near Minneapolis

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

The closest national park to Minneapolis is Voyageurs National Park, about 244 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 5 h 50 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.

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

At a glance

Minneapolis to the parks

National parks near Minneapolis at a glance
Closest national park	Voyageurs National Park 244 mi straight-line
Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles	0 / 2 / 5 national parks
Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.)	None
Closest NPS site of any kind	Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, 8 mi
Metro population	3,790,295 (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro, Census 2025 est.)

The closest three

Nearest to Minneapolis

Photo: NPS Photo / Daniel Dendler
Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park
Straight line
244 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 5 h 50 min
Quiet month
September
Entrance
Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul Brown
Michigan
Isle Royale National Park
Straight line
298 mi
Drive (est.)
No road
Quiet month
September
Entrance
$7 / person
“It is only accessible by ferry, seaplane, or private watercraft.” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
Straight line
386 mi
Drive (est.)
≈ 9 h 10 min
Quiet month
September
Entrance
$25 / vehicle

The nearest 8

National parks by distance from Minneapolis

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 Minneapolis, with straight-line distance and estimated drive time
#	Park	Straight line	Drive (est.)	2025 visits	Quiet month
1	Voyageurs National ParkMN	244 mi	≈ 5 h 50 min	206,326	September
2	Isle Royale National ParkMI	298 mi	Isle Royale is not reachable by road	29,091	September
3	Indiana Dunes National ParkIN	386 mi	≈ 9 h 10 min	2,629,497	September
4	Badlands National ParkSD	464 mi	≈ 11 h	1,139,361	May
5	Gateway Arch National ParkMO	466 mi	≈ 11 h	2,209,028	August
6	Theodore Roosevelt National ParkND	510 mi	≈ 12 h 10 min	729,893	May
7	Wind Cave National ParkSD	512 mi	≈ 12 h 10 min	606,258	May
8	Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH	642 mi	≈ 15 h 10 min	3,025,325	November

No drive estimate for Isle Royale: NPS says it's reached by boat or plane.

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.

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area8 mi · MN
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway67 mi · WI · MN
Pipestone National Monument164 mi · MN
Effigy Mounds National Monument166 mi · IA
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore186 mi · WI

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

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