Photo: NPS Photo/Sue Ford
Missouri
Gateway Arch National Park
- Straight line
- 3 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 10 min
- Quiet month
- August
- Entrance
- Free entry
St. Louis · Missouri
National parks near St. Louis
Last verified Straight-line miles · drive times estimated
The closest national park to St. Louis is Gateway Arch National Park, about 3 miles away as the crow flies, or roughly 10 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
St. Louis to the parks
| Closest national park | Gateway Arch National Park 3 mi straight-line |
|---|---|
| Within 150 / 300 / 500 miles | 1 / 3 / 6 national parks |
| Day trip (≤ 3 h, est.) | Gateway Arch |
| Closest NPS site of any kind | Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site, 8 mi |
| Metro population | 2,814,421 (St. Louis, MO-IL metro, Census 2025 est.) |
The closest three
Nearest to St. Louis
Photo: NPS Photo / J. Cooper
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park
- Straight line
- 245 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 5 h 50 min
- Quiet month
- May
- Entrance
- Free entry
Photo: NPS Photo
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
- Straight line
- 266 mi
- Drive (est.)
- ≈ 6 h 20 min
- Quiet month
- September
- Entrance
- $25 / vehicle
The nearest 8
National parks by distance from St. Louis
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 | Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 3 mi | ≈ 10 min | 2,209,028 | August |
| 2 | Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 245 mi | ≈ 5 h 50 min | 660,734 | May |
| 3 | Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 266 mi | ≈ 6 h 20 min | 2,629,497 | September |
| 4 | Hot Springs National ParkAR | 324 mi | ≈ 7 h 40 min | 2,494,611 | August |
| 5 | Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNC · TN | 426 mi | ≈ 10 h 10 min | 11,527,939 | November |
| 6 | Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 494 mi | ≈ 11 h 40 min | 3,025,325 | November |
| 7 | New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV | 504 mi | ≈ 11 h 50 min | 1,958,440 | September |
| 8 | Congaree National ParkSC | 626 mi | ≈ 14 h 50 min | 287,833 | February |
Make it a road trip
Park pairs within reach of St. Louis
Groups of parks where every pair is within about six hours of each other by our drive estimate.
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 245 mi from St. Louis
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.
- Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site8 mi · MO
- Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park47 mi · MO
- New Philadelphia National Historic Site83 mi · IL
- Lincoln Home National Historic Site86 mi · IL
- Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument87 mi · IL
Straight-line miles to each site’s NPS reference point. Long-distance trails are left out.
FAQ
National parks near St. Louis, answered
- What is the closest national park to St. Louis?
- Gateway Arch National Park, about 3 miles from St. Louis in a straight line. By road, figure roughly 10 min on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Next closest: Mammoth Cave (245 mi) and Indiana Dunes (266 mi).
- Can you visit a national park on a day trip from St. Louis?
- Yes: Gateway Arch 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 St. Louis?
- 4 by our rough estimate (up to 8 hours of driving): Gateway Arch, Mammoth Cave, Indiana Dunes and Hot Springs. 3 national parks are within 300 straight-line miles.
- Are there National Park Service sites closer to St. Louis?
- Yes. Within 100 miles there are 5 other NPS sites, the nearest being Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (8 mi), Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park (47 mi) and New Philadelphia National Historic Site (83 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 St. Louis city, Missouri. Metro: St. Louis, MO-IL (2025 estimate).
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