Summer travel: Here are national parks in driving distance of Indiana
While there are a number of state parks and forests throughout Indiana for Hoosiers to enjoy, many folks will hop in their cars this summer for a road trip to one of the country's 63 national parks.
The National Park Service is part of the United States Department of the Interior and operates many different types of properties known under various names like national lakeshores, seashores, battlefields and historic sites.
National forests, like Hoosier National Forest, are operated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
In Indiana, NPS operates three sites; Indiana Dunes National Park in Porter, George Rogers Clark National Historic Park in Vincennes and Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City.
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The service also maintains Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, which stretches from Pennsylvania to the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington.
This list focuses on the national parks, the service's most well-known sites, within 500 miles of different cities in Indiana.
Indiana Dunes National Park
From South Bend: 51 minutes
From Indianapolis: 2 hours, 25 minutes
From Evansville: 4 hours, 51 minutes
Indiana Dunes National Park in Porter is one of the National Parks Services' sites to be designated as a national park.
It was originally established as a national lakeshore in 1966 before being redesignated as a national park in 2019.
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Currently, it is Indiana's only location titled a national park.
The park has about 15 miles worth of beaches on Lake Michigan, a modern campground and hiking trails of various degrees of difficulty.
The Nativity Scene in The Great Onyx Cave. pic.twitter.com/5IEw1184rW
— Mammoth Cave NP (@MammothCaveNP) May 31, 2022
Mammoth Cave National Park
From South Bend: 5 hours, 20 minutes
From Indianapolis: 3 hours, 3 minutes
From Evansville: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Mammoth Cave National Park is located near Brownsville, Ky., about 90 miles south of Louisville along I-65.
The park was established more than 80 years ago in 1941 and offers recreational opportunities such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing and camping.
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Interpretive naturalists also give guided tours of the park's namesake Mammoth Cave for all types of visitors from wheelchair accessible tours to more adventurous journeys.
Gateway Arch National Park
From South Bend: 5 hours, 38 minutes
From Indianapolis: 3 hours, 36 minutes
From Evansville: 2 hours, 39 minutes
Established in 2018, Gateway Arch National Park is one of the nation's newest national parks.
Located in Saint Louis, Mo., the park is the site of the famous Gateway Arch.
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At 90 acres in size, the site is the smallest national park in the system.
Sometimes we get it wrong. We meant to say: #CVNP Bloomin' Report: Is it Wild Phlox or Dames Rocket? Check the petals - 5 petals are the native phlox, 4 petals are the non-native Dames Rockets. NPS Photos: Woodyard pic.twitter.com/JrTiWzwSov
— Cuyahoga Valley NP (@CVNPNPS) June 2, 2022
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
From Martinsville: 3 hours, 54 minutes
From Indianapolis: 4 hours, 28 minutes
From Evansville: 6 hours, 56 minutes
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located near Akron, Ohio, was established in 2000.
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Activities at the park include a scenic train ride, hiking and biking trails, kayaking and canoeing as well as fishing.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
From South Bend: 8 hours, 24 minutes
From Indianapolis: 6 hours, 4 minutes
From Evansville: 5 hours, 29 minutes
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Cherokee, N.C., has been welcoming guests since 1934.
Known for its fog that often blankets the peaks and valleys, the park is the most visited national park in the country, averaging more than 11 million guests per year.
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The site is home to campgrounds, hiking trails and historic sites.
Cell phone service is also very limited in the park, allowing guests to easily disconnect from the outside world.
New River Gorge National Park
From South Bend: 8 hours, 31 minutes
From Indianapolis: 6 hours, 26 minutes
From Evansville: 7 hours, 2 minutes
New River Gorge National Park is a relatively new national park, being designated as such in 2021.
Previously, the site was part of the NPS as a national river.
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Located near Fayetteville, W.Va., the park offers whitewater rafting along the New River, rock climbing, hiking and biking trails, scenic drives as well as camping.
Hot Springs National Park
From South Bend: 11 hours, 14 minutes
From Indianapolis: 9 hours, 6 minutes
From Evansville: 7 hours, 20 minutes
Hot Springs National Park, located near Hot Springs, Ark., is the country’s second-smallest national park.
The park promotes not only the area’s natural wonders, but also its history.
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For nearly 200 years, weary travelers have been visiting the area to spend time in the region’s hot springs, which many believe have medicinal benefits.
Other recreational activities at national park include camping and hiking.
Contact Reporter-Times editor Lance Gideon at lgideon@reporter-times.com or 765-342-1543. Follow him on Twitter: @LanceOGideon.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Weekend getaways near Indianapolis: National Parks within driving distance
