Visiting a national park is one of the most rewarding experiences in a lifetime, an unforgettable moment that will provide heirloom memories for friends and families. However, due to the pristine scenery protected by the government and National Park Service, civilization can lie quite a distance from the park’s entrance.
As a result, flying into national parks can be quite a challenge. For some of the more remote parks in Alaska, it is even difficult to find roads into the park. Nonetheless, where there is a will, there is a way, and the following breakdown looks at some of the best options for flying into the various national parks in the United States.
The Best Airports to Access US National Parks
The table in this section looks at where each national park is located, the nearest airport to the park entrance, the nearest major airport, and general commentary on flying options.
Note that the nearest airports to most national parks are often quite expensive and have limited availability, so if finding affordable flights is your highest priority, it may be worthwhile to fly into one of the major airports and drive the remaining distance.
| Name of National Park | Location | Nearest Airport | Nearest Major Airport | Comments |
| Acadia | Atlantic Coast of Maine | Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) | BOS is 280 miles away; Portland and Bangor International Airport are also in the vicinity |
| Arches | Grand County, Utah | Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) | Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) | SLC is 246 miles away; Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) may be another option |
| Badlands | South Dakota | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Denver International Airport (DEN) | At 68 miles away, RAP is the only practical option, DEN is over 6 hours – 364 miles – away. |
| Big Bend | Southwest Texas | Midland International Airport (MAF) | MAF | MAF is 197 miles away from the park. Some visitors prefer flying into El Paso (ELP), which is 287 miles away |
| Biscayne | Northern Florida Keys | Miami International Airport (MIA) | MIA | MIA is only 31 miles away; however, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) is another major airport just 60 miles away |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Montrose County, Colorado | Montrose Regional Airport (MJT) | Denver International Airport (DEN) | MJT is just 2 miles away; Denver is 187; SLC is 272 |
| Bryce Canyon | Southern Utah | Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE) | McCarran International Airport (LAS) | BCE is 13 miles from the park entrance; LAS is 275; SLC is 276 |
| Cabrillo National Monument | San Diego, California | San Diego International Airrport (SAN) | SAN | SAN is just 6 miles from Cabrillo National Monument |
| Canyonlands | Southeastern Utah | Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) | SLC | CNY is 68 miles away; SLC is 288; GJT is another option |
| Capitol Reef | Utah’s south-central desert | Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE) | SLC | BCE is 122 miles away; SLC is 228; CNY and GJT are other options |
| Carlsbad Caverns | Carlsbad, NM | El Paso International Airport (ELP) | ELP | ELP is 145 miles away; Lubbock (LBB) is 178 and Albuquerque (ABQ) is 275 |
| Channel Islands | Southern California coast | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | LAX | It is highly likely LAX will be the best option, as it is by far the closest at 78 miles; perhaps check SNA or ONT for lower fares |
| Congaree | Central South Carolina | Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) | CAE is 29 miles away; CLT is 115; plenty of other options including AGS, GSP, and SAV |
| Crater Lake | Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon | Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport (LMT) | Portland International Airport (PDX) | LMT is 61 miles away; PDX is 291 |
| Cuyahoga Valley | Near Cleveland, Ohio | Akron Fulton International Airport (AKC) | Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) | Two solid airline choices within 25 miles with AXC at 22 and CLE at 25 |
| Death Valley | Eastern border of south-central California | Furnace Creek Airport (DTH) | LAS | Best bet is likely to fly into Las Vegas (LAS) and drive the 111 miles to Death Valley |
| Denali | Alaska’s interior wilderness | Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) | Really the only two options; FAI is 121 miles away, and ANC is 244 |
| Dry Tortugas | 70 miles west of Key West, Florida | Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | MIA | Tough location to get to; RSW is 147 miles away, and MIA is 180 |
| Everglades | The southern tip of Florida | MIA | FLL | Plenty of options as MIA and FLL are both within 70 miles; RSW and PBI are also within 110 |
| Gates of the Arctic | Northern Alaska | FAI | FAI | FAI is the only option, and it is 264 miles south of the park |
| Glacier | Montana’s Rocky Mountains | Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) | Spokane International Airport (GEG) | It is best to try and fly into FCA, which is 26 miles from the park entrance; GEG is 280 miles away, with the only other practical options in Canada |
| Glacier Bay | Southeast Alaska | Gustavus Airport (GST) | Juneau International Airport (JNU) | GST is 5 miles away from the park and services local flights; JNU is 65 miles southeast |
| Grand Canyon | Northwest Arizona | Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) | FLG is 80 miles away; PHX is 232; LAS is 273 |
| Grand Teton | Northwestern Wyoming | Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) | SLC | JAC is 5 miles away; SLC is 293; other options include IDA and BXN |
| Great Basin | White Pine County, Nevada | Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) | SLC and LAS | CDC is 110 miles away; SLC is 175; LAS is 206; other options are SGU and BCE |
| Great Sand Dunes | Southern Colorado | San Luis Valley Airport (ALS) | DEN | ALS is 36 miles away, but services very few flights; DEN is 151 miles away; COS is another option |
| Great Smoky Mountains | The border between Tennessee and North Carolina | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) | CLT | TYS is 49 miles away; CLT is 192; other options within 200 miles include AVL, GSP, and CHA |
| Guadalupe Mountains | West Texas, just east of El Paso | ELP | ELP | ELP is the biggest and closest airport at 115 miles west of the park; MAF is another option at 170 miles |
| Haleakala | Maui County, Hawaii | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | OGG is 28 miles away; HNL is 122 |
| Hawai’i Volcanoes | Hawaii Island (Big Island) | Hilo International Airport (ITO) | HNL | ITO is 37 miles away; all flights into HNL must connect to ITO to access the park |
| Hot Springs | Garland County, Arkansas | Memorial Field Airport (HOT) | Bill and Hillary Clinton International Airport (LIT) | HOT is 7 miles away; LIT is 57 |
| Isle Royale | Keweenaw County, Michigan | Duluth International Airport (DLH) | Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) | DLH is 173 miles away; MSP is 297; this is a tough park to access, as it is in Lake Superior well to the north of Michigan Upper Peninsula |
| Joshua Tree | Southern California | Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) | LAX | PSP is 37 miles away; LAX is 143; ONT, SNA, SAN, and LAS are all within 200 miles |
| Katmai | Southern Alaska | ANC | ANC | ANC is 241 miles away, and this park cannot be driven into, making it one of the tougher parks to access |
| Kenai Fjords | Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska | ANC | ANC | ANC is 126 miles away |
| Kings Canyon | California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains | Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) | Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) | FAT is 65 miles away; RNO is 192; other options include VIS and SJC |
| Kobuk Valley | Kotzebue, Alaska | FAI | ANC | FAI is 368 miles away; ANC is 509; this is a hard park to access, as it is north of the arctic circle |
| Lake Clark | Southwest Alaska | ANC | ANC | ANC is 155 miles away |
| Lassen Volcanic | Northern California | RNO | RNO | RNO is 111 miles away; SMF, OAK, and SFO are other major airports within 200 miles |
| Mammoth Cave | West-central Kentucky | Louisville International Airport (SDF) | Nashville International Airport (BNA) | SDF is 88 miles away; BNA is 101 |
| Mesa Verde | Montezuma County, Colorado | Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ) | None | CEZ is 15 miles away; other options are CNY and GJT |
| Mount Rainier | West-central Washington | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | SEA | SEA is 95 miles away; PDX is another option at 151 miles away |
| North Cascades | Whatcom, Skagit, and Chelan Counties, Washington | SEA | SEA | SEA is 103 miles away; if you want to fly internationally, YVR is 90 miles away |
| Olympic | Washington’s Olympic Peninsula | SEA | SEA | SEA is 129 miles away; YVR ad PDX are other options |
| Petrified Forest | Northeastern Arizona | PHX | PHX | PHX is 207 miles away; PRC and ABQ are other options |
| Pinnacles | Central California | SJC | OAK/SFO | A lot of options; SJC is 86 miles away; OAK is 116, and SFO is 117 |
| Redwoods | Northern California coast | Sacramento International Airport (SMF) | OAK/SFO | SMF is 12 miles away; OAK and SFO are just over 100; PDX is another option |
| Rocky Mountain | Northern Colorado | DEN | DEN | At 85 miles away, DEN is highly likely to be the best overall option |
| Saguaro | Southern Arizona | Tucson International Airport (TUS) | PHX | TUS is 26 miles away; PHX is 106 |
| Sequoia | California’s southern Sierra Nevada mountains | Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS) | FAT | VIS is 59 miles away; FAT is 81 |
| Shenandoah | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains | Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO) | Dulles International Airport (IAD) | CHO is 36 miles away; IAD is 109; DCA is another option |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Western North Dakota | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | None | DIK is 48 miles away; BIS and RAP are other options |
| Voyageurs | Northern Minnesota | Range Regional Airport (HIB) | MSP | HIB is 76 miles away; MSP is 250; DLH is another option |
| Wind Cave | Southwestern South Dakota | RAP | None | RAP is 59 miles away |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | South-central Alaska | ANC/FAI | ANC/FAI | ANC is 234, and FAI is 262 miles away |
| Yellowstone | Northwestern Wyoming and southwestern Montana | West Yellowstone Airport (WYS) | None | WYS is 35 miles away; JAC is another regional option 70 miles away |
| Yosemite | California’s Sierra Nevada mountains | Merced Airport (MCE) | FAT | MCE is 2 hours away; FAT is 2.5 hours away |
| Zion | Southwest Utah | St. George Regional Airport (SGU) | LAS | SGU is 46 miles away; LAS is 168 |
Final Thoughts
Visiting a national park is sure to produce lasting memories. However, due to the diligent preservation efforts to keep the parks pristine, it can sometimes be difficult to access them via conventional transportation routes. As a result, if you are looking into flying into one of the US national parks, the above table provides a concise breakdown to make your life easier.
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