Photo: NPS Photo/ Katherine Fielding
California
Pinnacles National Park
- Straight line
- 133 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 3 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- February
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
San Francisco · California
National parks near San Francisco
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to San Francisco is Pinnacles National Park, about 133 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 3 h 10 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
San Francisco to the parks
| Closest national park | Pinnacles National Park 133 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 6 / 11 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | None |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Point Reyes National Seashore, 24 mi |
| Metro population | 4,630,041 (San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to San Francisco
Photo: NPS Photo
California
Yosemite National Park
- Straight line
- 190 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 30 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- $35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott Arnaz
California
Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Straight line
- 210 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h
- Quiet month
- August
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from San Francisco
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 | Pinnacles National ParkCA | 133 mi | ≈ 3 h 10 min | 343,208 | February |
| 2 | Yosemite National ParkCA | 190 mi | ≈ 4 h 30 min | 4,278,413 | May |
| 3 | Lassen Volcanic National ParkCA | 210 mi | ≈ 5 h | 504,777 | August |
| 4 | Kings Canyon National ParkCA | 255 mi | ≈ 6 h | 779,791 | September |
| 5 | Sequoia National ParkCA | 256 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 1,378,337 | September |
| 6 | Redwood National and State ParksCA | 257 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min | 1,202,480 | May |
| 7 | Channel Islands National ParkCA | 312 mi | Channel Islands is not reachable by road | 227,186 | May |
| 8 | Death Valley National ParkCA · NV | 336 mi | ≈ 7 h 50 min | 1,320,134 | May |
No drive estimate for Channel Islands: NPS says it's reached by boat or plane.
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of San Francisco
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
2 parks · CA
Pinnacles & Yosemite
≈ 3 h 10 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 133 mi from San Francisco
See the route →3 parks · CA · OR
Crater Lake, Redwood & Lassen Volcanic
- Crater Lake
- Redwood+ ≈ 3 h 20 min
- Lassen Volcanic+ ≈ 3 h 30 min
≈ 7 h of driving between parks · the nearest is 210 mi from San Francisco
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 255 mi from San Francisco
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.
- Point Reyes National Seashore24 mi · CA
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area25 mi · CA
- Muir Woods National Monument27 mi · CA
- Fort Point National Historic Site31 mi · CA
- Presidio of San Francisco31 mi · CA
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park34 mi · CA
- Alcatraz Island34 mi · CA
- Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park39 mi · CA
- John Muir National Historic Site52 mi · CA
- Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site55 mi · CA
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near San Francisco, answered
- What is the closest national park to San Francisco?
- Pinnacles National Park, about 133 miles from San Francisco in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 3 h 10 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Yosemite (190 mi) and Lassen Volcanic (210 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from San Francisco?
- Not easily. The closest, Pinnacles, is about 3 h 10 min away by our rough estimate, so plan on at least one night.
- How many national parks are within a day's drive of San Francisco?
- 7 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Pinnacles, Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Redwood and 1 more. 6 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to San Francisco?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are at least 10 other NPS sites, the nearest being Point Reyes National Seashore (24 mi), Golden Gate National Recreation Area (25 mi) and Muir Woods National Monument (27 mi).
Sources · 6
- 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 2 moreShow fewer
- 5.NPS park directions text used for road access · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 6.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 San Francisco city, California. Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (2025 estimate).
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