The National Parks of the United States by State

USA Washington Olympic National Park vista 12
The vistas of Olympic National Park are spectacular.

The United States National Parks have been called “America's Best Idea.” Ken Burns made a documentary by that name. We can't really argue with that. The only possible competitor is jazz music.

We have visited more than 20 of the 63 United States National Parks and our stories about our visits are linked from the list of National Parks you will find below. We have also visited some in our youth that we have not written about, e.g. Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and Great Smoky Mountains. We hope to get back to them someday soon.

The best National Park visits are even better with a little bit of preparation. The rangers at each park are excellent recommending appropriate hiking routes for your time and ability. Be sure to check out our travel tips for hiking and our ideas for safe road trips, and you'll be ready for your outdoor adventure.

Some posts on Travel Past 50 may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The United States is big, so you are likely on a road trip to cover distances between and within parks. We've visited National Parks with rental cars and with our own vehicle. You can search for all sorts of rental car sizes and companies with this one-stop car rental site.

Frequently Asked Questions about the National Parks

How many National Parks are there?

There are 63 U.S. National Parks, including two in American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands. There are a total of 419 sites managed by the United States National Park Service.

Which state has the most National Parks?

California has the most National Parks with nine; Alaska has eight National Parks. Utah has five; Colorado has four; Arizona, Florida, and Washington have three; Hawaii, Texas, Wyoming, and South Dakota have two. Several other states have one. In all, 28 states have National parks (29 if you include Idaho, which has a small part of Yellowstone.)

Are there states without National Parks?

Twenty-one states have no National Parks (20, if you include the part of Yellowstone in Idaho.)
States without National Parks are: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (see above,) Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

What is the largest National Park?

The four largest National Parks are all in Alaska: Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest at more than 8 million acres (3.2 million hectares), followed by Gates of the Arctic, Denali, and Katmai. The largest park in the lower 48 states is Death Valley, at over 3.3 million acres (1.3 million hectares.) Yellowstone is second in the lower 48 at 2.2 million acres.

What is the most visited National Park?

The most visited National Park is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Great Smoky had more than 11 million visitors in 2017. The second most visited is the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, which had more than 6 million visitors in 2017.

What is the least visited National Park?

The least visited National Park, not surprisingly, is Alaska's Gates of the Arctic, which had only a little more than 11,000 visitors in 2017. The least visited National Park in the lower 48 states is Isle Royale in Michigan (actually it's in Lake Superior between Michigan and Minnesota. It can be reached by ferry or small plane from both states.) Isle Royale is the only National Park to close completely in the winter. It had a record year for visitors in 2017, when it got more than 28,000 visits.

What are the oldest and newest National Parks?

The United States National Parks were founded in 1872 with the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also thought to be the first national park in the world.

The newest National Park in the United States is New River Gorge in West Virginia. It's the first National Park in West Virginia. It was named a National Park at the end of 2020. Before it became a National Park, New River Gorge was designated as a National River.

Before New River Gorge, the newest National Park in the United States was White Sands National Park in New Mexico. White Sands was previously a National Monument. It was authorized as a National Park in December 2019. Indiana Dunes National Park was established earlier in 2019. It was previously the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore along Lake Michigan.

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delicate arch arches national park
Delicate Arch, the centerpiece of Arches National Park, Utah.

The List of United States National Parks by State

Alaska National Parks, 8

  • Denali National Park and Preserve* (1917)
  • Gates of the Arctic National Park (1980)
  • Glacier Bay National Park* (1980)
  • Katmai National Park and Preserve (1980)
  • Kenai Fjords National Park (1980)
  • Kobuk Valley National Park (1980)
  • Lake Clark National Park (1980)
  • Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve* (1980)

Arizona National Parks, 3

  • Grand Canyon National Park* (1919)
  • Petrified Forest National Park (1962)
  • Saguaro National Park (1994)

Arkansas National Parks, 1

  • Hot Springs National Park (1921)
redwoods in fog national park
Fog in Redwoods National Park, California

California National Parks, 9

Colorado National Parks, 4

Florida National Parks, 3

  • Biscayne National Park (1980)
  • Dry Tortugas National Park (1992)
  • Everglades National Park (1934)

Hawaii National Parks, 2

Indiana National Parks, 1

  • Indiana Dunes National Park (2019)

Kentucky National Parks, 1

  • Mammoth Cave National Park* (1941)
landscape Grand Pre Nova Scotia
The landscape once farmed by the Acadians, now part of the memorial to their expulsion at Acadia National Park, Maine.

Maine National Parks, 1

Michigan National Parks, 1

Minnesota National Parks, 1

  • Voyageurs National Park (1971)

Missouri National Parks, 1

  • Gateway Arch National Park (2018)

Montana National Parks, 1

Nevada National Parks, 1

  • Great Basin National Park (1986)

New Mexico National Parks, 2

  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park* (1930)
  • White Sands National Park (2019)

North Carolina National Parks, 1

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park* (Also in Tennessee) (1934)

North Dakota National Parks, 1

  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park (1978)
USA Joshua tree California sunset
Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Ohio National Parks, 1

  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park (2000)

Oregon National Parks, 1

South Carolina National Parks, 1

  • Congaree National Park (2003)

South Dakota National Parks, 2

Tennessee National Parks, 1

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park* (1934)

Texas National Parks, 2

narrows zion national park 2
Best advice for hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park? Put your camera in a waterproof bag, and take walking sticks. Oh yeah, and be very careful. That water will often try to knock you over.

Utah National Parks, 5

Virginia National Parks, 1

  • Shenandoah National Park (1935)
USA Colorado Mesa Verde national park cliff palace 1
The cliff palace of Mesa Verde National Park, the first named Unesco World Heritage site in the United States.

Washington National Parks, 3

West Virginia National Parks

  • New River Gorge National Park (2020)

Wyoming National Parks, 2

National Parks Outside of the 50 States

American Samoa National Parks, 1

  • National Park of American Samoa (1988)

United States Virgin Islands National Parks, 1

  • Virgin Islands National Park (1966)

Park names with an asterisk* are also Unesco World Heritage Sites in the United States.

half dome yosemite
With a national park pass, visit over 60 U.S. Parks including Yosemite, pictured here.

More Facts About the National Parks

Admission fees for National Parks

The National Parks are administered by the National Park Service. An annual pass to all U.S. National Parks costs $80. Lifetime senior passes are available for all U.S. citizens and permanent residents for $80. An annual senior pass is $20. U.S. Military members and dependents are eligible for a free annual pass. For complete information on passes, click this link.

Free National Park Admission days, 2024

On six days in 2024, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone.

January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 20: First day of National Park Week
June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
September 28: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day

Some National Park characteristics

Volcanoes are a recurring motif in National Parks, with the largest volcano in the world at Yellowstone National Park. Active volcanoes, or at least recently active, are at several parks, including, not surprisingly, Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. Others where you can see volcanic activity include Yellowstone, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, Mount Ranier, and several in Alaska.

Of course, the parks are the premier sites in the United States for hiking and backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, cross country skiing, watching wildlife such as moose, elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, and grizzly bears–if you keep your distance.

Or, if you're not into roughing it, there are often lodges in the park that are hidden gems of early 20th Century rustic luxury. Be sure to book early.

channel islands national park cliff shore
Hiking and views around the coast of Santa Cruz, Channel Islands, California

Other sites managed by the National Park Service

As of 2019, there are 419 sites in the United States that are also under the auspices of the National Park Service. Those include national monuments, battlefields, historic sites, natural sites, and recreation areas.

New York has the most National Historic Landmarks, with 274, and 116 in New York City alone.

Arizona has the most National Monuments, with 18.

There are also National Preserves. A National Preserve is a type of National Park Service protected area of the United States that has characteristics normally associated with national parks but where certain natural resource-extractive activities such as fishing, hunting, mining, and oil/gas exploration and extraction are permitted.

Also, the Bureau of Land Management, as distinct from the National Park Service, manages the federal government's nearly 700 million acres (2,800,000 km2) of subsurface mineral estate located beneath federal, state and private lands. Most Bureau of Land Management public lands are located in these 12 western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The United States National Parks are also supported by the National Park Foundation, which lately has had its hands full fighting against budget cuts. You might consider a donation.

death valley national park badwater basin 2
The Armagosa Mountains of Death Valley National Park, reflected in a Bad Water Basin winter melt.

All U.S. National Park Service sites

Here is a list of all properties of all kinds managed by the United States National Park Service, indexed by state. When a property is in more than one state, it is listed under all the states it covers. The exception is the Appalachian Trail, with crosses 15 states. It is listed under its terminal states: Maine and Georgia.

Alabama

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
Freedom Riders National Monument
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, with Mississippi and Tennessee
Russell Cave National Monument
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

Alaska

Alagnak Wild River
Aniakchak National Monument
Aniakchak National Preserve
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Denali National Park
Denali National Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Gates of the Arctic National Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Preserve
Katmai National Park
Katmai National Preserve
Kenai Fjords National Park
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, with Washington
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Lake Clark National Preserve
Noatak National Preserve
Sitka National Historical Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, with Washington

American Samoa

National Park of American Samoa

Arizona

Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Coronado National Memorial
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, with Utah
Grand Canyon National Park
Hohokam Pima National Monument
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with Nevada
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Navajo National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Petrified Forest National Park
Pipe Spring National Monument
Saguaro National Park
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Tonto National Monument
Tumacá1cori National Historical Park
Tuzigoot National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wupatki National Monument

Arkansas

Arkansas Post National Memorial
Buffalo National River
Hot Springs National Park
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
Pea Ridge National Military Park
President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site
Fort Smith National Historic Site, with Oklahoma

California

César E. Chávez National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument
Castle Mountains National Monument
Channel Islands National Park
Devils Postpile National Monument
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site
Fort Point National Historic Site
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
John Muir National Historic Site
Joshua Tree National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lava Beds National Monument
Manzanar National Historic Site
Mojave National Preserve
Muir Woods National Monument
Pinnacles National Park
Point Reyes National Seashore
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
Redwood National Park
Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Sequoia National Park
Tule Lake National Monument
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
Yosemite National Park
Death Valley National Park, with Nevada

Colorado

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado National Monument
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Dinosaur National Monument, with Utah
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Preserve
Hovenweep National Monument, with Utah
Mesa Verde National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
Yucca House National Monument

Connecticut

Weir Farm National Historic Site

Delaware

First State National Historical Park

District of Columbia

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, with Maryland and West Virginia
Constitution Gardens
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
George Washington Memorial Parkway, with Maryland and Virginia
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
National Capital Parks – East
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, with Pennsylvania and Virginia
Rock Creek Park
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Washington Monument
White House
World War I Memorial
World War II Memorial

Florida

Big Cypress National Preserve
Biscayne National Park
Canaveral National Seashore
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
De Soto National Memorial
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
Fort Caroline National Memorial
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Gulf Islands National Seashore, with Mississippi
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

Georgia

Andersonville National Historic Site
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, to Maine (14 states)
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, with Tennessee
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

Guam

War in the Pacific National Historical Park

Hawaii

Haleakala National Park
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Honouliuli National Historic Site
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Idaho

City of Rocks National Reserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Craters of the Moon National Preserve
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Minidoka National Historic Site
Nez Perce National Historical Park, with Montana, Oregon, Washington
Yellowstone National Park, with Montana, Wyoming

Illinois

Gateway Arch National Park, with Missouri
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Pullman National Monument

Indiana

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Indiana Dunes National Park
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Iowa

Effigy Mounds National Monument
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Kansas

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
Fort Larned National Historic Site
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, with Tennessee
Camp Nelson National Monument
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, with Tennessee and Virginia
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, with Tennessee
Mammoth Cave National Park

Louisiana

Cane River Creole National Historical Park
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
Poverty Point National Monument
Vicksburg National Military Park, with Mississippi

Maine

Acadia National Park
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, to Georgia (14 states)
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

Maryland

Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore, with Virginia
Catoctin Mountain Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, with D.C. and West Virginia
Clara Barton National Historic Site
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Fort Washington Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway, with D.C. and Virginia
Greenbelt Park
Hampton National Historic Site
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, with Virginia and West Virginia
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
Monocacy National Battlefield
Piscataway Park
Thomas Stone National Historic Site

Massachusetts

Adams National Historical Park
Boston African American National Historic Site
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Boston National Historical Park
Cape Cod National Seashore
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site
Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Lowell National Historical Park
Minute Man National Historical Park
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Michigan

Isle Royale National Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
River Raisin National Battlefield Park
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Minnesota

Grand Portage National Monument
Mississippi National River and Recreation Areas
Pipestone National Monument
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, with Wisconsin
Voyageurs National Park

Mississippi

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
Gulf Islands National Seashore, with Florida
Natchez National Historical Park
Natchez Trace Parkway
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, with Alabama and Tennessee
Tupelo National Battlefield
Vicksburg National Military Park, also with Louisiana

Missouri

Gateway Arch National Park, with Illinois
George Washington Carver National Monument
Harry S Truman National Historic Site
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Montana

Big Hole National Battlefield
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, with Wyoming
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, with North Dakota
Glacier National Park
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Nez Perce National Historical Park, with Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Yellowstone National Park, with Idaho, Wyoming

Nebraska

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Homestead National Monument of America
Missouri National Recreational River, with South Dakota
Niobrara National Scenic River
Scotts Bluff National Monument

Nevada

Death Valley National Park, with California
Great Basin National Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with Arizona
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

New Hampshire

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

New Jersey

Delaware National Scenic River, with New York, Pennsylvania
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, with Pennsylvania
Gateway National Recreation Area, with New York
Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River
Morristown National Historical Park
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
Statue of Liberty National Monument, with New York
Thomas Edison National Historical Park

New Mexico

Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
El Malpais National Monument
El Morro National Monument
Fort Union National Monument
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, with Tennessee, Washington
Pecos National Historical Park
Petroglyph National Monument
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Valles Caldera National Preserve
White Sands National Park

New York

African Burial Ground National Monument
Castle Clinton National Monument
Delaware National Scenic River, with New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Federal Hall National Memorial
Fire Island National Seashore
Fort Stanwix National Monument
Gateway National Recreation Area, with New Jersey
General Grant National Memorial
Governors Island National Monument
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site
Saratoga National Historical Park
Statue of Liberty National Monument, with New Jersey
Stonewall National Monument
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, with Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Women's Rights National Historical Park

North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway, with Virginia
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with Tennessee
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Moores Creek National Battlefield
Wright Brothers National Memorial

North Dakota

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, with Montana
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Ohio

Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
First Ladies National Historic Site
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
William Howard Taft National Historic Site

Oklahoma

Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Fort Smith National Historic Site, with Arkansas
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

Oregon

Crater Lake National Park
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, with Washington
Nez Perce National Historical Park, with Montana, Idaho, Washington
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve

Pennsylvania

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Delaware National Scenic River, with New York, New Jersey
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, with New Jersey
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
Eisenhower National Historic Site
Flight 93 National Memorial
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Friendship Hill National Historic Site
Gettysburg National Military Park
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Independence National Historical Park
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, with D.C. and Virginia
Steamtown National Historic Site
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, with New York
Valley Forge National Historical Park

Puerto Rico

San Juan National Historic Site

Rhode Island

Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
Roger Williams National Memorial

South Carolina

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
Congaree National Park
Cowpens National Battlefield
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Kings Mountain National Military Park
Ninety Six National Historic Site
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

South Dakota

Badlands National Park
Jewel Cave National Monument
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Missouri National Recreational River, with Nebraska
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Wind Cave National Park

Tennessee

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, with Kentucky
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, with Georgia
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, with Kentucky and Virginia
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, with Kentucky
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with North Carolina
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, with New Mexico, Washington
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, with Alabama and Mississippi
Obed Wild and Scenic River
Shiloh National Military Park
Stones River National Battlefield

Texas

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Amistad National Recreation Area
Big Bend National Park
Big Thicket National Preserve
Chamizal National Memorial
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Padre Island National Seashore
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Waco Mammoth National Monument

Utah

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument, with Colorada
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, with Arizona
Golden Spike National Historical Park
Hovenweep National Monument, with Colorada
Natural Bridges National Monument
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Zion National Park

Vermont

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

Virgin Islands

Buck Island Reef National Monument
Christiansted National Historic Site
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
Virgin Islands National Park

Virginia

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
Assateague Island National Seashore, with Maryland
Blue Ridge Parkway, with West Virginia
Booker T. Washington National Monument
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, with Tennessee and Kentucky
Fort Monroe National Monument
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
George Washington Memorial Parkway, with Maryland and D.C.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, with Maryland and West Virginia
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, with Pennsylvania and D.C.
Prince William Forest Park
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Shenandoah National Park
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Washington

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, with Alaska
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, with Oregon
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, with New Mexico, Washington
Mount Rainier National Park
Nez Perce National Historical Park, with Montana, Oregon, Idaho
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Ross Lake National Recreation Area
San Juan Island National Historical Park
Whitman Mission National Historic Site

West Virginia

Bluestone National Scenic River
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, with Maryland and D.C.
Gauley River National Recreation Area
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, with Virginia and Virginia
New River Gorge National Park

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, with Minnesota

Wyoming

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, with Montana
Devils Tower National Monument
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Fossil Butte National Monument
Grand Teton National Park
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
Yellowstone National Park, with Idaho, Wyoming

Here's the U.S. National Park Service's list of all administered sites.

Sunset at Cresent Lake, Olympic National Park, Washington.

More on the U.S. National Parks

Here is a story about our driving trip to several Western and West Coast National Parks in 2015. We haven't visited any East Coast National Parks. We hope to remedy that soon. Also, we have never been to Alaska. In fact, that's the only state that Kris and I have never been to. Alaska is in our plans for 2020.

Of course, the United States got it started, but there are plenty of other countries which now have national parks. We've visited a few of those, too.

This is an update to a post originally published in February 2018.

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15 thoughts on “The National Parks of the United States by State”

    • Don’t know if the list makes it easier, because, honestly, a lot of these parks are hard to reach. We still have a lot of them to get to ourselves. Tell your daughter to start young. I think I went to my first, Rocky Mountain, when I was about 8 years old.

      Reply
  1. Oh how I love this post. Thanks for capturing them all in one place so I can search blogger suggestions about visiting the parks. If someone would have told me 5 years ago that I would be so crazy about visiting outdoor nature sites, I would have laughed hysterically, and now I can’t get enough. Stamping my passport is the ultimate!

    Reply
  2. I have terminal cancer and visiting the national parks out west has been on my Bucket list for 4 years. Seems like something always gets in the way. This year it is C-19. We are getting a late start but are Planning to go around June 1st. I hope we make it to the Sequoias and redwoods at least. Thanks for the info and hope to see some of you along the trails.

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  3. The info I’ve had for years, in the form of a document on my computer, states that Gates of the Arctic is not the least visited of the total, but that, at 11,000, is 4th. from the last, with Lake Clark at 10,000; American Samoa at 4000, and Kobuk Valley at 3000.

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  4. What exactly is your criteria to define what is a National Park? I ask because you list 20-21 states that allegedly don’t have National Parks, when in fact, according to the NPS, most of them do. One example? Maryland you claim has no national park. Contrarily, Great Falls National Park, which straddles the Potomac River, is in both Maryland and Virginia, with separate entrances and facilities for each state.

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    • The Great Falls Park is not a National Park as designated by the National Park Service, although it is managed by the NPS. It is part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which spans Maryland, Virginia and D.C. The George Washington Memorial Parkway is in our list of other sites administered by the NPS. As of 2019, there are 419 sites in the United States that are also under the auspices of the National Park Service. Those include national monuments, battlefields, historic sites, natural sites, and recreation areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Falls_Park

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