Photo: NPS Photo
Arizona
Saguaro National Park
- Straight line
- 122 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 2 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- April
- Entrance
- $25 / vehicle
Phoenix · Arizona
National parks near Phoenix
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Phoenix is Saguaro National Park, about 122 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 2 h 50 min by road on our estimate. 6 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
Phoenix to the parks
| Closest national park | Saguaro National Park 122 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 6 / 20 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Saguaro |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 51 mi |
| Metro population | 5,228,938 (Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Phoenix
Photo: NPS Photo
Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park
- Straight line
- 164 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 3 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- April
- Entrance
- $25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/M. Quinn
Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park
- Straight line
- 168 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- $35 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Phoenix
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 | Saguaro National ParkAZ | 122 mi | ≈ 2 h 50 min | 847,749 | April |
| 2 | Petrified Forest National ParkAZ | 164 mi | ≈ 3 h 50 min | 315,951 | April |
| 3 | Grand Canyon National ParkAZ | 168 mi | ≈ 4 h | 4,430,653 | November |
| 4 | Joshua Tree National ParkCA | 217 mi | ≈ 5 h 10 min | 2,932,644 | May |
| 5 | Zion National ParkUT | 263 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 4,984,525 | November |
| 6 | Bryce Canyon National ParkUT | 277 mi | ≈ 6 h 40 min | 1,967,367 | April |
| 7 | Mesa Verde National ParkCO | 325 mi | ≈ 7 h 40 min | 463,130 | May |
| 8 | Capitol Reef National ParkUT | 329 mi | ≈ 7 h 50 min | 1,388,476 | November |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Phoenix
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
2 parks · AZ
Petrified Forest & Saguaro
- Petrified Forest
- Saguaro+ ≈ 4 h 40 min
≈ 4 h 40 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 122 mi from Phoenix
See the route →4 parks · AZ · NV · UT
Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion & Great Basin
- Grand Canyon
- Bryce Canyon+ ≈ 2 h 40 min
- Zion+ ≈ 1 h 10 min
- Great Basin+ ≈ 3 h 10 min
≈ 6 h 50 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 168 mi from Phoenix
See the route →4 parks · CA · NV
Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Kings Canyon & Sequoia
- Joshua Tree
- Death Valley+ ≈ 4 h 30 min
- Kings Canyon+ ≈ 1 h 50 min
- Sequoia+ ≈ 40 min
≈ 7 h 10 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 217 mi from Phoenix
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.
- Casa Grande Ruins National Monument51 mi · AZ
- Tonto National Monument56 mi · AZ
- Montezuma Castle National Monument74 mi · AZ
- Tuzigoot National Monument83 mi · AZ
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Phoenix, answered
- What is the closest national park to Phoenix?
- Saguaro National Park, about 122 miles from Phoenix in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 2 h 50 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Petrified Forest (164 mi) and Grand Canyon (168 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Phoenix?
- Yes: Saguaro is within about 3 hours by our estimate. Check the park's nps.gov page for entrances and current road conditions.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of Phoenix?
- 9 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Saguaro, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Zion and Bryce Canyon and 3 more. 6 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Phoenix?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 4 other NPS sites, the nearest being Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (51 mi), Tonto National Monument (56 mi) and Montezuma Castle National Monument (74 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 Phoenix city, Arizona. Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (2025 estimate).
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