The United States has 58 protected areas known as national parks, which are operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. National parks must be established by an act of the United States Congress.
National Parks by State | Alphabetical list of National Parks
The first national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, followed by Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890. The Organic Act of 1916 created the National Park Service “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
National parks usually have a variety of natural resources over large areas. Many national parks were previously protected as National Monuments under the Antiquities Act before being upgraded by Congress.
Seven national parks are paired with a National Preserve, six of which are in Alaska. While administered together, they are considered as separate units and their areas are not included in the figures below. The newest national park is Great Sand Dunes, established in 2004.
Twenty-seven states have national parks, as do American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands. Alaska and California have the most national parks, each with eight, followed by Utah with five and Colorado with four.
The largest national park is Wrangell – St. Elias, at over 8,000,000 acres (32,000 km2), and the smallest is Hot Springs, at less than 6,000 acres (24 km2). The total area protected by national parks is approximately 51,900,000 acres (210,000 km2).
The most-visited national park is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with over nine million visitors in 2008, followed by the Grand Canyon, with over four million. Fourteen national parks are designated World Heritage Sites.
A few national parks are no longer designated as such, having been redesignated or disbanded. Other designations of National Park Service areas are sometimes also called national parks; they are listed here.
Twenty-three states have no officially designated “National Park.” They are Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachuesetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Shenandoah National Park is a beautiful, historic national treasure which includes the 105-mile long Skyline Drive, a National Scenic Byway. The Park covers the crest of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains for over seventy-five miles. The Appalachian Trail roughly parallels the…
One of the most influential figures in the history of American public lands, Roosevelt’s legacy is recognized at national parks, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas and national forests across the country. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is in the colorful North Dakota badlands.
Acadia National Park is in Maine and was the first national park east of the Mississippi River. Acadia National Park lies in the center of the Wabanaki homeland, which stretches from Newfoundland, Canada, to the Merrimac River valley in New…
From the bottom of the deepest glacial fjord to the summit of its highest peak, Glacier Bay National Park encompasses some of our continent’s most amazing scenery and wildness. It is a land reborn, a world returning to life, a…
Local Native Americans witnessed the collapse of Mount Mazama and kept the event alive in their legends. One ancient legend of the Klamath people closely parallels the geologic story which emerges from today’s scientific research.
Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota was the 7th national park established in the United States. The wind cave is the 5th longest cave in the world and the largest maze cave in the world, and sacred to native…
Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State was the third national park to be established in the United States. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Mountains, and it is covered by 26 named glaciers…
Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. Situated in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is best known for its thermal pools and geysers, and for its vast array of wildlife.
The National Park of American Samoa was our 49th national park. This is the southernmost national park, and it is located on three Samoan islands and protects coral reefs, rainforests, volcanic mountains, and white beaches.
Acadia National Park was our 15th national park. It is in Maine and was the first national park east of the Mississippi River. It is the only national park in the New England states.
California’s Yosemite National Park welcomes millions of visitors each year—drawn to its dramatic waterfalls, giant sequoias, abundant wildlife, and awe-inspiring cliffs, like Half Dome and El Capitan. Whether you’re looking for the adventure vacation of a lifetime, want to immerse…
Crater Lake National Park Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a…
Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to steaming fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. Jagged peaks tell the story of its eruptive past while hot water continues to shape the land. Lassen Volcanic offers opportunities…
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is known as the Land of Giants for its huge sequoia trees. Located in one of the finest and wildest areas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, you can experience a spectacular…
Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night…
Northern Death Valley National Park is a lonelier, less visited section of the valley but equally scenic as the south. Higher in elevation; sloping up to 3,000 feet at Scotty’s Castle.
The South is the most visited section of Death Valley, incuding Artist’s Palette, Badwater, Dante’s View, Devil’s Golf Course and Zabriskie Point.
A world of extremes, Death Valley National Park is the nation’s driest, hottest and lowest place, but also features mountains over 11,000 feet high that experience below-zero weather and snow, as well as colorful badlands, sand dunes and canyons. Its dramatic…
Channel Islands National Park is made up of five ecologically rich islands off the Southern California coast and their surrounding one mile of the ocean. Accessible by boat or plane, the Channel Islands are rarely crowded, but peak times are…
Hot Springs National Park is a unique combination of urban and natural landscapes. The hot springs themselves are in the area known as Bathhouse Row in the heart of downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, and visitors can still take a traditional…
The only national park in the U.S. to contain a portion of the famous and historic Route 66 is Petrified Forest National Park.
Saguaro National Park is named after the giant saguaro cactus forest, unique to the Sonoran desert. It is the only national forest in the US made up entirely of giant cactus plants. But, for me, the real highlight is the…
Although first afforded Federal protection in 1893 as a Forest Reserve and later as a National Monument, the Grand Canyon did not achieve National Park status until 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service. Today Grand…
Even in a state famous for its size, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park stands out. It is by far the largest of our national parks—almost six times the size of Yellowstone. Four major mountain ranges converge here: the volcanic Wrangells, the…
Far from the hustle and bustle of other Alaskan destinations, the untamed nature of Kobuk Valley National Park allows you to experience “Wild Alaska” on its own terms. There are many possibilities for adventure. You can boat down the languid…
At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies Kenai Fjords National Park, a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords‘ crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests around this…
Located in the vast, remote southwest corner of Alaska, Katmai National Park and Preserve is famous for volcanoes and the bears which embody the wild heart of Katmai. Within the borders of the national park and preserve are 15 volcanoes,…
The hills, valleys and beaches of Virgin Islands National Park are breathtaking. It covers approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands, over 5,500 acres of adjacent ocean, plus nearly all of Hassel Island, just off the Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas harbor.
At Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails and endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter.
Technically, not every state has a national park. There are twenty-three states who have no designated National Park, and the District of Columbia also does not have a national park.
Denali National Park contains 6 million acres of wilderness — with only one road! Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America’s tallest peak, 20,320′ Mount…
As of the 2010 US Census, the United States has 58 protected areas known as U.S. National Parks, including two in US Territories. Not all states have a US National Park, and some states have several. Here is a list…
An alphabetical list of US National Parks with a brief overview and sample picture.