Photo: NPS Photo / D.J. Reiser
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Straight line
- 101 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 2 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- Free entry
Pittsburgh · Pennsylvania
National parks near Pittsburgh
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Pittsburgh is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 101 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 2 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
Pittsburgh to the parks
| Closest national park | Cuyahoga Valley National Park 101 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 3 / 7 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Cuyahoga Valley |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Friendship Hill National Historic Site, 46 mi |
| Metro population | 2,421,992 (Pittsburgh, PA metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Pittsburgh
Photo: NPS Photo / Neal Lewis
Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
- Straight line
- 157 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 3 h 40 min
- Quiet month
- November
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlin
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Straight line
- 186 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Pittsburgh
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 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 101 mi | ≈ 2 h 20 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 2 | Shenandoah National ParkVA | 157 mi | ≈ 3 h 40 min | 1,682,152 | November |
| 3 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 186 mi | ≈ 4 h 20 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 4 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 380 mi | ≈ 9 h | 2,629,497 | September |
| 5 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 386 mi | ≈ 9 h 10 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 6 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 400 mi | ≈ 9 h 30 min | 660,734 | May |
| 7 | Congaree National ParkSC | 461 mi | ≈ 10 h 50 min | 287,833 | February |
| 8 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 558 mi | ≈ 13 h 10 min | 2,209,028 | August |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Pittsburgh
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 101 mi from Pittsburgh
See the route →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 386 mi from Pittsburgh
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.
- Friendship Hill National Historic Site46 mi · PA
- Fort Necessity National Battlefield48 mi · PA
- Flight 93 National Memorial63 mi · PA
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial64 mi · PA
- Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site74 mi · PA
- First Ladies National Historic Site78 mi · OH
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Pittsburgh, answered
- What is the closest national park to Pittsburgh?
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park, about 101 miles from Pittsburgh in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 2 h 20 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Shenandoah (157 mi) and New River Gorge (186 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Pittsburgh?
- Yes: Cuyahoga Valley 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 Pittsburgh?
- 3 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Cuyahoga Valley, Shenandoah and New River Gorge. 3 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Pittsburgh?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 6 other NPS sites, the nearest being Friendship Hill National Historic Site (46 mi), Fort Necessity National Battlefield (48 mi) and Flight 93 National Memorial (63 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 Pittsburgh city, Pennsylvania. Metro: Pittsburgh, PA (2025 estimate).
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