NPS Sites Near Columbus
Five National Park Service sites lie within 150 miles of Columbus, Ohio. The nearest is Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe, approximately 47 miles away, which attracted nearly 52,000 annual visits and preserves Indigenous earthworks. Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, about 59 miles south, received roughly 4,400 visits annually and commemorates the military service and legacy of African American soldiers and their commander.
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, situated 71 miles northwest near Dayton, ranks as the most visited site in this range with approximately 79,760 annual visits, documenting the Wright brothers' pioneering aviation work. Two additional sites lie near the regional boundary: First Ladies' National Historic Site in Canton at roughly 96 miles, recording about 8,500 visits yearly, and William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Cincinnati at approximately 107 miles, which received nearly 18,100 visits annually.
| NPS unit | Annual visits |
|---|---|
| Hopewell Culture National Historical Park · 47.2 mi | 51,969 (2025) |
| Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument · 58.8 mi | 4,412 (2025) |
| Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park · 71.1 mi | 79,760 (2025) |
| First Ladies' National Historic Site · 95.8 mi | 8,482 (2025) |
| William Howard Taft National Historic Site · 106.6 mi | 18,121 (2025) |
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park · 111.1 mi | 3,025,325 (2025) |
| Perry’S Victory And International Peace Memorial National Memorial · 116.5 mi | 124,327 (2025) |
| River Raisin National Battlefield Park · 137.2 mi | 133,643 (2025) |
Columbus attractions & passes → · Top attractions in Columbus →
Nearby-NPS units and their annual recreation visits are from the NPS Visitor Use Statistics package (haversine match within 150 mi of the city centroid), verified June 2026. Null visitation renders as “n/a”, never 0. How we compile this.