Easiest National Parks to Reach

82

Saguaro

National Park · Arizona

Tucson's city limits wrap around two districts of protected Sonoran Desert, with the iconic saguaro cactus forests that define Arizona's identity. Tucson International is 12 miles from the visitor center. The park splits east and west around the city, with scenic drives through both districts passable in a rental car. Saguaros take 75 years to grow their first arm and can live 150 years. Some here were standing when the Spanish arrived. The desert is closer than you think.

82

Paterson Great Falls

National Historical Park · New Jersey

82

George Washington

Memorial Parkway · Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C.

A scenic highway connecting Mount Vernon to Great Falls, preserved as parkland since the 1930s. Reagan National Airport sits directly on park property, with planes descending over the Potomac while joggers run the Mount Vernon Trail below. The 18-mile trail connects to the National Mall via Arlington Memorial Bridge. Great Falls of the Potomac marks where the river drops 76 feet through a series of cascades. This is the national park you can see from your airplane window.

83

Mississippi

National River and Recreation Area · Minnesota

The Mississippi River winds 72 miles through the Twin Cities, and the park protects key stretches from Dayton to Hastings. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International is seven miles from downtown, making this one of the most accessible river parks in the system. The Mill City Museum sits in the ruins of what was once the world's largest flour mill. Minnehaha Falls drops 53 feet into a limestone gorge. Rent a kayak, paddle past downtown Minneapolis, and see the only major waterfall on the entire Mississippi.

83

Cabrillo

National Monument · California

The southern tip of Point Loma peninsula, where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the West Coast in 1542. San Diego International is five miles away, and the park offers sweeping views of the Pacific, the bay, and the city skyline. Gray whales migrate past the point from December through March. Tide pools along the western shore reveal sea stars, anemones, and hermit crabs at low tide. This is a park you can visit between landing and dinner.

93

Indiana Dunes

National Park · Indiana

Fifteen miles of Lake Michigan shoreline within an hour of Chicago's Loop. The South Shore Line runs from Millennium Station to Dune Park, dropping you at the beach without ever needing a car. Mount Baldy is a 126-foot living dune that moves inland about four feet per year. The park preserves ecological diversity that rivals the tropics, with bogs, prairies, and forests packed into a narrow strip between steel mills. Midway Airport is 35 miles away. O'Hare is an hour. Chicago's national park waits at the end of the train line.

94

Harpers Ferry

National Historical Park · Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia

Three states meet where the Shenandoah flows into the Potomac, and the town of Harpers Ferry has been strategic ground since George Washington chose it for a federal armory. John Brown raided that armory in 1859, accelerating the country toward civil war. The park is an hour from Dulles, 90 minutes from Reagan National, and reachable by MARC commuter train from Washington's Union Station. Walk the cobblestone streets, hike Maryland Heights for the classic river view, then catch the train back to the capital.

96

Golden Gate

National Recreation Area · California

San Francisco International sits 20 miles from park land that includes Muir Woods, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, and the Presidio. Take BART from the airport to the city, then a ferry to Alcatraz or a bus to Muir Woods. The park encompasses 80,000 acres across three counties, but the most accessible sections are within city limits. Crissy Field has views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Point sits directly beneath it. This is where urban California meets wild Pacific coastline.

100

Gateway Arch

National Park · Missouri

The only national park in a major downtown. Gateway Arch rises 630 feet above the St. Louis riverfront, visible from the interstate and reachable by MetroLink from Lambert Airport. Fly in, take the tram to the top, walk the grounds along the Mississippi River, and be back at the terminal in time for an afternoon flight. The Old Courthouse where Dred Scott sued for freedom is part of the park. Add a Cardinals game or dinner in Soulard, and you have a national park visit that fits between meetings.