Parks Manager

National parks near Carter County, Kentucky

Carter County is one town for park planning. See national parks near Olive Hill — it reaches the same parks.

The closest national park to Carter County, Kentucky is New River Gorge National Park — about 106 mi (171 km) away, or roughly 2 hr 58 min of driving.

1 park is close enough to do as a day trip: New River Gorge.

National parks near Carter County

Parks ranked by distance from Carter County
ParkStraight-line distanceEstimated driveRealistic trip
New River Gorge National Park106 mi (171 km)2 hr 58 minDoable as a day trip
Mammoth Cave National Park186 mi (299 km)4 hr 51 minBest as a weekend
Great Smoky Mountains National Park190 mi (305 km)4 hr 57 minBest as a weekend
Cuyahoga Valley National Park216 mi (348 km)5 hr 34 minBest as a weekend
Shenandoah National Park253 mi (407 km)6 hr 26 minWorth a longer road trip
Point Pelee National Park253 mi (408 km)6 hr 27 minWorth a longer road trip
Indiana Dunes National Park315 mi (507 km)7 hr 54 minWorth a longer road trip
Congaree National Park338 mi (544 km)8 hr 27 minWorth a longer road trip
Gateway Arch National Park388 mi (625 km)9 hr 38 minWorth a longer road trip
Rouge National Park434 mi (699 km)10 hr 44 minWorth a longer road trip

Towns and cities in Carter County

Common questions

What is the closest national park to Carter County?

New River Gorge National Park, about 106 mi (171 km) away and roughly 2 hr 58 min of driving.

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

New River Gorge National Park — all within about three hours' drive.