Raleigh-Cary, NC · 115 units within 8 hours

National Park System units within a drive of Raleigh

One National Park System unit sits within an estimated two hours of Raleigh, 18 between two and four hours, and 96 between four and eight. The closest is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, about 1.9 hours by road from the metro's Census centroid. The metro is the Raleigh area as the Census Bureau defines it, home to 1,562,009 people in the 2024 estimates.

Each drive time is an estimate made from the straight-line distance between the metro's Census centroid and the unit's listed coordinates, multiplied by 1.25 for roads and divided by 55 mph, so a real trip will often take longer.

Metro centroid Free to enter Charges an entrance fee

Under 2 hours

Unit	Est. drive	Entry	2025 visits	Campgrounds
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park National Military Park · NC	1.9 h	Free	449,802	0

2 to 4 hours

Unit	Est. drive	Entry	2025 visits	Campgrounds
Moores Creek National Battlefield National Battlefield · NC	2.1 h	Free	55,708	0
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park National Historical Park · VA	2.6 h	Free	77,496	0
Petersburg National Battlefield National Battlefield · VA	2.6 h	Free	494,358	0
Booker T. Washington National Monument National Monument · VA	2.7 h	Free	21,698	0
Cape Lookout National Seashore National Seashore · NC	3.1 h	Free	512,737	3
Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park Part of Colonial National Historical Park · VA	3.1 h	Fee	no count	0
Maggie L Walker National Historic Site National Historic Site · VA	3.1 h	Free	4,657	0
Richmond National Battlefield Park National Battlefield Park · VA	3.1 h	Free	149,545	0
Colonial National Historical Park National Historical Park · VA	3.3 h	Fee	1,582,994	0
Fort Monroe National Monument National Monument · VA	3.4 h	Free	no count	1
Yorktown Battlefield Part of Colonial National Historical Park Part of Colonial National Historical Park · VA	3.4 h	Fee	no count	0
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site National Historic Site · NC	3.5 h	Free	266,775	0
Cape Hatteras National Seashore National Seashore · NC	3.6 h	Free	2,684,009	4
Cape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical Park Part of Colonial National Historical Park · VA	3.6 h	Free	no count	0
Green Springs Affiliated Area · VA	3.6 h	Free	no count	0
Wright Brothers National Memorial National Memorial · NC	3.6 h	Fee	341,576	0
Kings Mountain National Military Park National Military Park · SC	3.9 h	Free	175,511	0
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail National Historic Trail · NC, SC, TN, VA	3.9 h	Free	no count	0

4 to 8 hours

Unit	Est. drive	Entry	2025 visits	Campgrounds
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park National Military Park · VA	4.2 h	Free	765,991	0
Bluestone National Scenic River National Scenic River · WV	4.3 h	Free	12,446	0
Congaree National Park National Park · SC	4.3 h	Free	287,833	2
George Washington Birthplace National Monument National Monument · VA	4.3 h	Free	72,072	0
Shenandoah National Park National Park · VA	4.3 h	Fee	1,682,152	4
Cowpens National Battlefield National Battlefield · SC	4.4 h	Free	175,020	0
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve National Park & Preserve · WV	4.6 h	Free	1,958,440	9
Prince William Forest Park Park · VA	4.6 h	Fee	339,015	10
Thomas Stone National Historic Site National Historic Site · MD	4.7 h	Free	4,910	0
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site National Historic Site · SC	4.9 h	Free	23,758	0
Manassas National Battlefield Park National Battlefield Park · VA	4.9 h	Free	473,482	0
Piscataway Park Park · MD	4.9 h	Free	275,070	0
Fort Washington Park Park · MD	5 h	Free	502,171	0
Gauley River National Recreation Area National Recreation Area · WV	5 h	Free	213,596	1
Harmony Hall Part of National Capital Parks-East · MD	5 h	Free	no count	0
Blue Ridge Parkway Parkway · NC, VA	5.1 h	Free	16,533,753	8
Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park National Historical Park · VA	5.1 h	Free	no count	0
Fort Foote Park Park · MD	5.1 h	Free	no count	0
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park National Historical Park · SC	5.1 h	Fee	814,658	0
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park National Historical Park · MD	5.1 h	Free	15,348	0
Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm Part of National Capital Parks-East · MD	5.1 h	Free	no count	0
Anacostia Park Park · DC	5.2 h	Free	no count	0
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial Park Unit · VA	5.2 h	Free	363,284	0
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument National Monument · DC	5.2 h	Free	6,514	0
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site National Historic Site · NC	5.2 h	Free	94,796	0
Constitution Gardens Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	no count	0
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Memorial · DC	5.2 h	Free	676,062	0
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site National Historic Site · DC	5.2 h	Free	393,662	0
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	2,832,124	0
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site National Historic Site · DC	5.2 h	Free	29,378	0
Korean War Veterans Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	3,975,010	0
Lincoln Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	7,743,295	0
LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	236,042	0
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	2,843,263	0
National Capital Parks-East Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	no count	0
National Mall and Memorial Parks Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	no count	0
Ninety Six National Historic Site National Historic Site · SC	5.2 h	Free	122,732	0
Pennsylvania Avenue Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	115,618	0
Theodore Roosevelt Island Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	159,828	0
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	no count	0
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	4,848,112	0
Washington Monument Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	204,489	0
The White House and President's Park Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	311,213	0
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Park Unit · VA	5.2 h	Free	437,413	0
World War II Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	3,993,717	0
World War I Memorial Park Unit · DC	5.2 h	Free	838,999	0
African American Civil War Memorial Part of National Mall and Memorial Parks · DC	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Capitol Hill Parks Part of National Capital Parks-East · DC	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site National Historic Site · DC	5.3 h	Free	20	0
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park National Historical Park · DC, MD, WV	5.3 h	Fee	4,579,704	37
Clara Barton National Historic Site National Historic Site · MD	5.3 h	Free	11,309	0
Civil War Defenses of Washington Related Area · DC, MD, VA	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Fort Dupont Park Part of National Capital Parks-East · DC	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Glen Echo Park Park · MD	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Great Falls Park Park · VA	5.3 h	Fee	no count	0
George Washington Memorial Parkway Memorial Parkway · DC, MD, VA	5.3 h	Free	6,732,932	0
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens Part of National Capital Parks-East · DC	5.3 h	Free	no count	0
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site National Historic Site · DC	5.3 h	Free	3,123	0
Rock Creek Park Park · DC	5.3 h	Free	1,865,048	0
Assateague Island National Seashore National Seashore · MD, VA	5.4 h	Fee	2,325,195	11
Greenbelt Park Park · MD	5.4 h	Free	130,314	1
Baltimore-Washington Parkway Parkway · MD	5.5 h	Free	no count	0
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail · DC, MD, PA, VA	5.5 h	Free	no count	0
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site National Historic Site · TN	5.6 h	Free	43,203	0
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail National Historic Trail · VA, MD, DE, DC, PA, NY	5.6 h	Free	no count	0
Chesapeake Bay Related Area · DC, DE, MD, NY, PA, VA, WV	5.6 h	Free	no count	0
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park National Historical Park · WV, VA, MD	5.7 h	Fee	537,876	0
Monocacy National Battlefield National Battlefield · MD	5.8 h	Free	116,902	0
Antietam National Battlefield National Battlefield · MD	5.9 h	Fee	161,006	0
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine National Monument and Historic Shrine · MD	6 h	Fee	283,027	0
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park National Historical Park · SC	6 h	Free	23,206	0
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail National Historic Trail · MD, VA, DC	6 h	Free	no count	0
Catoctin Mountain Park Park · MD	6.2 h	Free	460,857	6
Hampton National Historic Site National Historic Site · MD	6.2 h	Free	48,158	0
Great Smoky Mountains National Park National Park · NC, TN	6.4 h	Free	11,527,939	13
Eisenhower National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	6.5 h	Free	75,328	0
Fort Necessity National Battlefield National Battlefield · PA	6.5 h	Free	225,783	0
Friendship Hill National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	6.6 h	Free	18,080	0
Gettysburg National Military Park National Military Park · PA	6.6 h	Free	730,398	0
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park National Historical Park · KY, TN, VA	6.7 h	Free	765,010	1
Fort Pulaski National Monument National Monument · GA	6.7 h	Fee	320,926	0
Flight 93 National Memorial National Memorial · PA	6.8 h	Free	286,079	0
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument National Monument · PA	7.2 h	Free	no count	0
Johnstown Flood National Memorial National Memorial · PA	7.2 h	Free	74,977	0
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	7.3 h	Free	162,905	0
First State National Historical Park National Historical Park · DE, PA	7.3 h	Free	200,173	0
Great Egg Harbor River Park Unit · NJ	7.3 h	Free	no count	0
Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail · CT, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV	7.7 h	Free	6,215,118	0
Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	7.7 h	Free	no count	0
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	7.7 h	Free	45,897	0
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site National Historic Site · PA	7.8 h	Free	no count	0
Independence National Historical Park National Historical Park · PA	7.8 h	Free	1,926,580	0
Obed Wild & Scenic River Wild & Scenic River · TN	7.8 h	Free	no count	1
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial National Memorial · PA	7.8 h	Free	1,664	0
Valley Forge National Historical Park National Historical Park · PA	7.8 h	Free	1,819,086	0
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area National River & Recreation Area · KY, TN	8 h	Free	774,353	5

Metro boundaries and population from the Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; centroids from the Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer, CBSA internal points. Unit coordinates, fees, campgrounds and 2025 recreation visits from the NPS API and Visitor Use Statistics. Data refreshed October 14, 2026. Other metros.