US National Parks Map

About US National Parks Map

Explore National Parks in USA Map, The United States has 62 protected areas known as national parks that are operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior.

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List of National Parks in the United States

S.N.	Name	Area in km2	Area in Acers	Established as a National Park in
1	Wrangell-St. Elias	33,682.60	8,323,146.48	December 2, 1980
2	Gates of the Arctic	30,448.10	7,523,897.45	December 2, 1980
3	Denali	19,185.80	4,740,911.16	February 26, 1917
4	Katmai	14,870.30	3,674,529.33	December 2, 1980
5	Death Valley	13,793.30	3,408,395.63	October 31, 1994
6	Glacier Bay	13,044.60	3,223,383.43	December 2, 1980
7	Lake Clark	10,602.00	2,619,816.49	December 2, 1980
8	Yellowstone	8,983.20	2,219,790.71	March 1, 1872
9	Kobuk Valley	7,084.90	1,750,716.16	December 2, 1980
10	Everglades	6,106.50	1,508,938.57	May 30, 1934
11	Grand Canyon	4,862.90	1,201,647.03	February 26, 1919
12	Glacier	4,100.00	1,013,126.39	May 11, 1910
13	Olympic	3,733.80	922,649.41	June 29, 1938
14	Big Bend	3,242.20	801,163.21	June 12, 1944
15	Joshua Tree	3,217.90	795,155.85	October 31, 1994
16	Yosemite	3,082.70	761,747.50	October 1, 1890
17	Kenai Fjords	2,710.00	669,650.05	December 2, 1980
18	Isle Royale	2,314.00	571,790.30	April 3, 1940
19	Great Smoky Mountains	2,114.20	522,426.88	June 15, 1934
20	North Cascades	2,042.80	504,780.94	October 2, 1968
21	Kings Canyon	1,869.20	461,901.20	March 4, 1940
22	Sequoia	1,635.20	404,062.63	September 25, 1890
23	Hawaiʻi Volcanoes	1,395.40	344,812.18	August 1, 1916
24	Canyonlands	1,366.20	337,597.83	September 12, 1964
25	Grand Teton	1,254.70	310,044.36	February 26, 1929
26	Rocky Mountain	1,075.80	265,847.74	January 26, 1915
27	Channel Islands	1,009.90	249,561.00	March 5, 1980
28	Badlands	982.40	242,755.94	November 10, 1978
29	Capitol Reef	979.00	241,904.50	December 18, 1971
30	Mount Rainier	956.60	236,381.64	March 2, 1899
31	Petrified Forest	895.90	221,390.21	December 9, 1962
32	Voyageurs	883.10	218,222.35	April 8, 1975
33	Shenandoah	811.20	200,445.92	December 26, 1935
34	Crater Lake	741.50	183,224.05	May 22, 1902
35	Biscayne	700.00	172,971.11	June 28, 1980
36	Zion	595.90	147,242.66	November 19, 1919
37	White Sands	592.20	146,344.31	December 20, 2019
38	Redwood	562.50	138,999.37	October 2, 1968
39	Great Sand Dunes	434.40	107,345.73	September 24, 2004
40	Lassen Volcanic	431.40	106,589.02	August 9, 1916
41	Saguaro	375.90	92,876.75	October 14, 1994
42	Guadalupe Mountains	349.50	86,367.10	September 30, 1972
43	Great Basin	312.30	77,180.00	October 27, 1986
44	Arches	310.30	76,678.98	November 12, 1971
45	Mammoth Cave	293.30	72,472.87	July 1, 1941
46	Theodore Roosevelt	285.10	70,446.89	November 10, 1978
47	Dry Tortugas	261.80	64,701.22	October 26, 1992
48	Mesa Verde	212.40	52,485.17	June 29, 1906
49	Acadia	198.60	49,071.40	February 26, 1919
50	Carlsbad Caverns	189.30	46,766.45	May 14, 1930
51	Bryce Canyon	145.00	35,835.08	February 25, 1928
52	Wind Cave	137.50	33,970.84	January 9, 1903
53	Haleakalā	135.50	33,488.98	July 1, 1961
54	Cuyahoga Valley	131.80	32,571.89	October 11, 2000
55	Black Canyon of the Gunnison	124.60	30,779.83	October 21, 1999
56	Congaree	108.00	26,692.60	November 10, 2003
57	Pinnacles	108.00	26,685.73	January 10, 2013
58	Indiana Dunes	62.10	15,349.08	February 15, 2019
59	Virgin Islands	60.90	15,052.33	August 2, 1956
60	American Samoa	33.40	8,256.67	October 31, 1988
61	New River Gorge	28.40	7,021.00	December 27, 2020
62	Hot Springs	22.50	5,554.15	March 4, 1921
63	Gateway Arch	0.80	192.83	February 22, 2018

US National Parks

The United States National Parks represent the nation's most valuable natural and cultural resources. The designated and protected parks showcase American landscape diversity through their vast desert expanses and alpine ranges and ancient forests and rugged coastlines. The National Park Service (NPS) manages 63 official National Parks while overseeing more than 400 units throughout the country which include national monuments historic sites seashores and recreation areas. The national parks attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year and people commonly call them “America’s best idea” according to writer Wallace Stegner.

Historical Background

The practice of setting aside extensive land areas for public recreation and environmental conservation emerged in the United States during the mid-19th century. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming established itself as the world's first national park when it was established in 1872. The establishment of this national park established a global precedent for governments to protect natural landscapes because it marked a significant moment in conservation history. The United States established Sequoia and Yosemite in California as well as Mount Rainier in Washington and Crater Lake in Oregon as additional iconic national parks during this period.

The National Park Service was established in 1916 under the Organic Act, signed by President Woodrow Wilson. The NPS was created to manage and protect the growing number of parks and ensure their preservation “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Successive administrations have expanded the park system through new designations and acquisitions, sometimes converting national monuments into full-fledged national parks.

Geographical Distribution and Diversity

The U.S. National Parks are spread across 29 states and two U.S. territories, and they cover a wide range of ecosystems and geographies. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the parks that has dramatic geological formations, while Everglades National Park in Florida is the largest subtropical wilderness in the country. Denali National Park in Alaska is home to North America’s highest peak, Denali, which stands at 20,310 feet above sea level. On the other hand, Dry Tortugas National Park, situated in the Gulf of Mexico, is mostly water, coral reefs, and historic fortifications.

The parks differ from one another through their unique characteristics. Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans across North Carolina and Tennessee where it draws more than 12 million visitors each year. Death Valley National Park in California and Nevada holds Earth's highest recorded temperature while Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska stays minimally visited because it lies in a distant wilderness area with no accessible roads or trails.

Conservation and Environmental Role

The U.S. National Park System functions as an essential system for biodiversity conservation and climate monitoring and habitat protection. The parks protect more than 400 mammal species together with thousands of plant species and numerous bird and reptile and amphibian populations. The parklands harbor endangered species including the California condor together with the grizzly bear and red wolf. The system safeguards some of America's most delicate geological features as well as its fossils glaciers and wetlands.

Many parks stand as front-line defenders against climate change because they face rising temperatures and shrinking snowpacks and coastal erosion and increased wildfires. The National Park Service works through research and ecosystem restoration and public education to tackle these challenges. Multiple parks function as scientific research sites where scientists monitor environmental conditions.

Administration and Access

The National Park Service operates under the U.S. Department of the Interior as a bureau to handle daily park operations. The NPS operates with more than 20,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers who perform facility maintenance and law enforcement duties while conducting research and delivering public interpretive programs. The parks receive their funding through federal appropriations combined with entrance fees concessions and donations. The importance of public-private partnerships has grown significantly in recent times to support park infrastructure development and conservation initiatives.

The cost of park entry differs between locations but most popular parks require $35 from vehicles for seven-day access. The America the Beautiful Pass provides unlimited access to all federal recreation sites throughout the year. The park service provides free entry days and reduced rates for seniors and special access passes for veterans and disabled visitors.

Cultural and Educational Impact

The United States' National Parks serve as both natural sanctuaries and historical and cultural repositories of American heritage. Mesa Verde in Colorado maintains Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings as an ancient archaeological site while Gettysburg National Military Park marks the pivotal Civil War battle. The Hawaiian park stands as a dual tribute to both indigenous cultural heritage and volcanic geological majesty. National parks enable visitors to discover knowledge about geology and wildlife as well as Native American history and colonial America and the environmental movement.

The park system offers interpretive centers together with ranger-led tours and exhibits and educational programs. The National Parks serve as fundamental locations where people can learn about the environment through education and participate in science research and photography and hiking and camping activities and recreation. These sites function as important landmarks which define American identity and create strong bonds between humans and nature.

Recent Trends and Visitor Statistics

The National Parks continue to grow in popularity. The parks received more than 325 million visitors in 2023, a strong recovery from the pandemic years. The increased visitation has raised concerns about overcrowding, resource degradation, and pressure on park infrastructure. Several parks have implemented reservation systems, vehicle quotas, and shuttle services to manage crowds and reduce environmental impact.

The challenges continue but new designations and expansions do. The most recent national park addition was New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, designated in 2020. There is ongoing advocacy to elevate other units—such as Pinnacles, Big Thicket, or White Sands—to national park status, reflecting continued public and legislative support for conservation.