Photo: NPS Photo/ Katherine Fielding
California
Pinnacles National Park
- Straight line
- 66 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 1 h 40 min
- Quiet month
- February
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
San Jose · California
National parks near San Jose
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to San Jose is Pinnacles National Park, about 66 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 1 h 40 min by road on our estimate. 7 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 Jose to the parks
| Closest national park | Pinnacles National Park 66 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 2 / 7 / 12 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Pinnacles |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, 38 mi |
| Metro population | 1,984,473 (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to San Jose
Photo: NPS Photo
California
Yosemite National Park
- Straight line
- 129 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 3 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- $35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rick Cain
California
Kings Canyon National Park
- Straight line
- 183 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 4 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- $35 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from San Jose
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 | 66 mi | ≈ 1 h 40 min | 343,208 | February |
| 2 | Yosemite National ParkCA | 129 mi | ≈ 3 h 10 min | 4,278,413 | May |
| 3 | Kings Canyon National ParkCA | 183 mi | ≈ 4 h 20 min | 779,791 | September |
| 4 | Sequoia National ParkCA | 183 mi | ≈ 4 h 20 min | 1,378,337 | September |
| 5 | Lassen Volcanic National ParkCA | 222 mi | ≈ 5 h 10 min | 504,777 | August |
| 6 | Channel Islands National ParkCA | 252 mi | Channel Islands is not reachable by road | 227,186 | May |
| 7 | Death Valley National ParkCA · NV | 265 mi | ≈ 6 h 20 min | 1,320,134 | May |
| 8 | Redwood National and State ParksCA | 306 mi | ≈ 7 h 10 min | 1,202,480 | 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 Jose
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 66 mi from San Jose
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 183 mi from San Jose
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 222 mi from San Jose
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.
- Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site38 mi · CA
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park49 mi · CA
- Alcatraz Island50 mi · CA
- Presidio of San Francisco50 mi · CA
- John Muir National Historic Site51 mi · CA
- Fort Point National Historic Site51 mi · CA
- Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park52 mi · CA
- Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial54 mi · CA
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area58 mi · CA
- Muir Woods National Monument59 mi · CA
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near San Jose, answered
- What is the closest national park to San Jose?
- Pinnacles National Park, about 66 miles from San Jose in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 1 h 40 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Yosemite (129 mi) and Kings Canyon (183 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from San Jose?
- Yes: Pinnacles 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 San Jose?
- 7 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Pinnacles, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Lassen Volcanic and Death Valley and 1 more. 7 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to San Jose?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are at least 10 other NPS sites, the nearest being Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (38 mi), San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (49 mi) and Alcatraz Island (50 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 Jose city, California. Metro: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (2025 estimate).
Park'd · free on iPhone & Android
Your parks map, in your pocket.
Park'd for iPhone and Android: check off every national park on a map, log trips with photos, notes and a favorite memory, and watch your stats and badges grow.
