Parks Manager

National parks near Pope County, Illinois

Pope County is one town for park planning. See national parks near Golconda — it reaches the same parks.

The closest national park to Pope County, Illinois is Gateway Arch National Park — about 126 mi (204 km) away, or roughly 3 hr 27 min of driving.

Nothing here is a comfortable day trip — the nearest parks are better as an overnight or a weekend.

National parks near Pope County

Parks ranked by distance from Pope County
ParkStraight-line distanceEstimated driveRealistic trip
Gateway Arch National Park126 mi (204 km)3 hr 27 minBest as a weekend
Mammoth Cave National Park132 mi (212 km)3 hr 34 minBest as a weekend
Great Smoky Mountains National Park300 mi (483 km)7 hr 33 minWorth a longer road trip
Indiana Dunes National Park304 mi (490 km)7 hr 39 minWorth a longer road trip
Hot Springs National Park322 mi (519 km)8 hr 5 minWorth a longer road trip
New River Gorge National Park408 mi (656 km)10 hr 6 minWorth a longer road trip
Point Pelee National Park449 mi (723 km)11 hr 5 minWorth a longer road trip
Cuyahoga Valley National Park457 mi (736 km)11 hr 16 minWorth a longer road trip
Congaree National Park499 mi (803 km)12 hr 15 minWorth a longer road trip
Shenandoah National Park558 mi (898 km)13 hr 39 minWorth a longer road trip

Towns and cities in Pope County

Common questions

What is the closest national park to Pope County?

Gateway Arch National Park, about 126 mi (204 km) away and roughly 3 hr 27 min of driving.

Which national parks can I visit from Pope County in a day?

None comfortably. Plan at least one night away.