Photo: NPS Photo / E. Brouwer
Washington
Mount Rainier National Park
- Straight line
- 61 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 1 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- June
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
Seattle · Washington
National parks near Seattle
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to Seattle is Mount Rainier National Park, about 61 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 1 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
Seattle to the parks
| Closest national park | Mount Rainier National Park 61 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 3 / 3 / 7 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park, 2 mi |
| Metro population | 4,161,883 (Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to Seattle
Photo: NPS Photo/Jon Preston
Washington
Olympic National Park
- Straight line
- 62 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 1 h 30 min
- Quiet month
- June
- Entrance
- $30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/D.Dixon
Washington
North Cascades National Park
- Straight line
- 92 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 2 h 10 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- Free entry
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from Seattle
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 | Mount Rainier National ParkWA | 61 mi | ≈ 1 h 20 min | 1,635,342 | June |
| 2 | Olympic National ParkWA | 62 mi | ≈ 1 h 30 min | 3,584,187 | June |
| 3 | North Cascades National ParkWA | 92 mi | ≈ 2 h 10 min | 46,925 | September |
| 4 | Crater Lake National ParkOR | 323 mi | ≈ 7 h 40 min | 632,242 | June |
| 5 | Glacier National ParkMT | 401 mi | ≈ 9 h 30 min | 3,136,557 | June |
| 6 | Redwood National and State ParksCA | 440 mi | ≈ 10 h 20 min | 1,202,480 | May |
| 7 | Lassen Volcanic National ParkCA | 495 mi | ≈ 11 h 40 min | 504,777 | August |
| 8 | Yellowstone National ParkID · MT · WY | 602 mi | ≈ 14 h 10 min | 4,762,988 | October |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of Seattle
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
3 parks · WA
Mount Rainier, Olympic & North Cascades
- Mount Rainier
- Olympic+ ≈ 2 h 40 min
- North Cascades+ ≈ 3 h 10 min
≈ 5 h 40 min of driving between parks · the nearest is 61 mi from Seattle
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 323 mi from Seattle
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.
- Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park2 mi · WA
- Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area2 mi · WA
- Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve44 mi · WA
- San Juan Island National Historical Park70 mi · WA
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near Seattle, answered
- What is the closest national park to Seattle?
- Mount Rainier National Park, about 61 miles from Seattle in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 1 h 20 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Olympic (62 mi) and North Cascades (92 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from Seattle?
- Yes: Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades are 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 Seattle?
- 4 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Mount Rainier, Olympic, North Cascades and Crater Lake. 3 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to Seattle?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 4 other NPS sites, the nearest being Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (2 mi), Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area (2 mi) and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (44 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 Seattle city, Washington. Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (2025 estimate).
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