Some top national parks and nearby airports
Here are some top national parks and nearby airports. You can use these airports as references when planning your points-and-miles trip to visit a national park.
Acadia National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Portland International Jetport (PWM) or Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
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Driving distance: 3 hours from Portland, Maine; 4 hours from Boston
Acadia National Park could also be within driving distance if you’re in or near the Northeastern US.
Grand Canyon, Bryce, or Zion National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
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Driving distance: 1.5 hours to Bryce; 3 hours to Zion; 4 hours to Grand Canyon North Rim
If you prefer to visit the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, it would be better to fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about a 3.5-hour drive.
Yosemite National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) or Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
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Driving distance: 2–3 hours from Fresno, California; 4 hours from Sacramento
Everglades National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Miami International Airport (MIA)
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Driving distance: 1 hour
Glacier National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Kalispell Glacier Park International Airport (FCA)
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Driving distance: 45 minutes
Kalispell is the epitome of the small, regional airport nearby a national park. It surprisingly has a decent amount of direct flights from the eastern US during peak season, but another option to consider would be Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Bozeman, Montana.
Denali National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Anchorage International Airport (ANC) or Fairbanks International Airport (FAI)
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Driving distance: 4 hours from Anchorage, 2 hours from Fairbanks
Arches National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
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Driving distance: 4 hours
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
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Best airport to fly into: Honolulu International Airport (HNL) or Kona International Airport (KOA)
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located on the Island of Hawai’i, but if you’re visiting from the eastern part of the US, you’ll likely fly into Honolulu (located on the Island of Oahu). Once there, you can take a quick, interisland flight (lasting about 45 minutes) to Hilo International Airport (ITO) or Kona International Airport (KOA) on Hawai’i to get to the National Park.
From the West Coast, you can easily find flights to Kona.
For inter-island travel, either Hawaiian Airlines or Southwest Airlines are both great options.
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