Photo: NPS Photo / Neal Lewis
Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
- Straight line
- 207 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
Philadelphia · Pennsylvania
National parks near Philadelphia
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Philadelphia is Shenandoah National Park, about 207 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 4 h 50 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
Philadelphia to the parks
| Closest national park | Shenandoah National Park 207 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 | Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, 3 mi |
| Metro population | 6,329,118 (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Philadelphia
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlin
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Straight line
- 348 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 8 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Straight line
- 348 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 8 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Philadelphia
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 | 207 mi | ≈ 4 h 50 min | 1,682,152 | November |
| 2 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 348 mi | ≈ 8 h 10 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 3 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 348 mi | ≈ 8 h 10 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 4 | Acadia National ParkME | 465 mi | ≈ 11 h | 4,079,318 | October |
| 5 | Congaree National ParkSC | 530 mi | ≈ 12 h 30 min | 287,833 | February |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 549 mi | ≈ 13 h | 11,527,939 | November |
| 7 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 624 mi | ≈ 14 h 50 min | 660,734 | May |
| 8 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 635 mi | ≈ 15 h | 2,629,497 | September |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Philadelphia
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 207 mi from Philadelphia
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.
- Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site3 mi · PA
- Independence National Historical Park4 mi · PA
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial5 mi · PA
- Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site5 mi · PA
- Valley Forge National Historical Park18 mi · PA
- First State National Historical Park26 mi · DE · PA
- New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve27 mi · NJ
- Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River28 mi · PA · NJ
- Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site36 mi · PA
- Great Egg Harbor River55 mi · NJ
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Philadelphia, answered
- What is the closest national park to Philadelphia?
- Shenandoah National Park, about 207 miles from Philadelphia in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 4 h 50 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: New River Gorge (348 mi) and Cuyahoga Valley (348 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Philadelphia?
- Not easily. The closest, Shenandoah, is about 4 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 Philadelphia?
- 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 Philadelphia?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are at least 10 other NPS sites, the nearest being Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site (3 mi), Independence National Historical Park (4 mi) and Thaddeus Kosciuszko 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 Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania. Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (2025 estimate).
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