Photo: NPS Photo / Neal Lewis
Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
- Straight line
- 284 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 6 h 40 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
New York City · New York
National parks near New York City
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to New York City is Shenandoah National Park, about 284 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 6 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.
At a glance
New York City to the parks
| Closest national park | Shenandoah National Park 284 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 | Governors Island National Monument, 5 mi |
| Metro population | 20,112,448 (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to New York City
Photo: NPS Photo by Kent Miller
Maine
Acadia National Park
- Straight line
- 388 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 9 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- October
- Entrance
- $35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Straight line
- 400 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 9 h 30 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from New York 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.
| # | Park | Straight line | Drive (est.) | 2025 visits | Quiet month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National ParkVA | 284 mi | ≈ 6 h 40 min | 1,682,152 | November |
| 2 | Acadia National ParkME | 388 mi | ≈ 9 h 10 min | 4,079,318 | October |
| 3 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 400 mi | ≈ 9 h 30 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 4 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 424 mi | ≈ 10 h | 1,958,440 | September |
| 5 | Congaree National ParkSC | 604 mi | ≈ 14 h 20 min | 287,833 | February |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 626 mi | ≈ 14 h 50 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 7 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 687 mi | ≈ 16 h 10 min | 2,629,497 | September |
| 8 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 697 mi | ≈ 16 h 30 min | 660,734 | May |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of New York City
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 284 mi from New York City
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.
- Governors Island National Monument5 mi · NY
- Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site5 mi · NY
- Federal Hall National Memorial5 mi · NY
- African Burial Ground National Monument5 mi · NY
- Castle Clinton National Monument5 mi · NY
- National Parks of New York Harbor6 mi · NY
- Ellis Island Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument6 mi · NJ · NY
- Statue of Liberty National Monument6 mi · NY
- Stonewall National Monument6 mi · NY
- Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site6 mi · NY
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near New York City, answered
- What is the closest national park to New York City?
- Shenandoah National Park, about 284 miles from New York City in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 6 h 40 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Acadia (388 mi) and Cuyahoga Valley (400 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from New York City?
- Not easily. The closest, Shenandoah, is about 6 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 New York City?
- 1 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Shenandoah. 1 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to New York City?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are at least 10 other NPS sites, the nearest being Governors Island National Monument (5 mi), Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site (5 mi) and Federal Hall National Memorial (5 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 New York city, New York. Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (2025 estimate).
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