Parks Manager

National parks near Burke County, North Carolina

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

The closest national park to Burke County, North Carolina is Great Smoky Mountains National Park — about 109 mi (175 km) away, or roughly 3 hr 1 min of driving.

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

National parks near Burke County

Parks ranked by distance from Burke County
ParkStraight-line distanceEstimated driveRealistic trip
Great Smoky Mountains National Park109 mi (175 km)3 hr 1 minBest as a weekend
Congaree National Park144 mi (231 km)3 hr 51 minBest as a weekend
New River Gorge National Park164 mi (264 km)4 hr 20 minBest as a weekend
Shenandoah National Park264 mi (425 km)6 hr 42 minWorth a longer road trip
Mammoth Cave National Park268 mi (432 km)6 hr 48 minWorth a longer road trip
Cuyahoga Valley National Park380 mi (612 km)9 hr 27 minWorth a longer road trip
Point Pelee National Park433 mi (697 km)10 hr 42 minWorth a longer road trip
Indiana Dunes National Park503 mi (809 km)12 hr 21 minWorth a longer road trip
Gateway Arch National Park511 mi (823 km)12 hr 33 minWorth a longer road trip
Rouge National Park580 mi (933 km)14 hr 11 minWorth a longer road trip

Towns and cities in Burke County

Common questions

What is the closest national park to Burke County?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 109 mi (175 km) away and roughly 3 hr 1 min of driving.

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

None comfortably. Plan at least one night away.