US National Parks Map

The U.S. National Parks map showcases the locations of America's protected natural treasures spread across the country. From iconic parks like Yellowstone in Wyoming and the Grand Canyon in Arizona to the Great Smoky Mountains straddling North Carolina and Tennessee, the map reveals the geographical diversity and natural beauty of the United States. Coastal parks like Acadia in Maine and Olympic in Washington contrast with arid landscapes like Death Valley in California and Nevada. The map serves as a visual guide for travelers and nature enthusiasts, highlighting opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and wildlife observation. It's a testament to the U.S.'s commitment to preserving its unique landscapes for future generations.

About US National Parks Map

Explore National Parks in USA Map, The U.S. has 62 protected or preserved areas known as national parks that are regulated by the National Park Service, an bureau of the Department of the Interior. National parks must be settled by an act of the U.S. Congress. A bill establishing the 1st national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President Hiram Ulysses Grant in 1872, followed by Mackinac National Park in 1875 (demilitarize in 1895), and then Rock Creek Park (later incorporated into National Capital Parks), Sequoia & Yosemite in 1890. The Organic Act of 1916 established the National Park Service to preserve the scenery and the natural and historic things and wildlife in there, and to prepare for the amusement of the same in such style and by such means as will allow them intact for the amusement of coming generations.

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List of national parks of the United States

National Park	Location	Date established as park	Area in acres (2019)	Area in km2 (2019)	Recreation Visitors (2019)	Status by UNESCO
Acadia	Maine	February 26, 1919	49,076.63	198.6	3,437,286
American Samoa	American Samoa	October 31, 1988	8,256.67	33.4	60,006
Arches	Utah	November 12, 1971	76,678.98	310.3	1,659,702
Badlands	South Dakota	November 10, 1978	242,755.94	982.4	970,998
Big Bend	Texas	June 12, 1944	801,163.21	3,242.20	463,832	Biosphere Reserve
Biscayne	Florida	June 28, 1980	172,971.11	700	708,522
Black Canyon of the Gunnison	Colorado	October 21, 1999	30,779.83	124.6	432,818
Bryce Canyon	Utah	February 25, 1928	35,835.08	145	2,594,904
Canyonlands	Utah	September 12, 1964	337,597.83	1,366.20	733,996
Capitol Reef	Utah	December 18, 1971	241,904.50	979	1,226,519
Carlsbad Caverns	New Mexico	May 14, 1930	46,766.45	189.3	440,691	World Heritage Site
Channel Islands	California	March 5, 1980	249,561.00	1,009.90	409,630	Biosphere Reserve
Congaree	South Carolina	November 10, 2003	26,476.47	107.1	159,445	Biosphere Reserve
Crater Lake	Oregon	May 22, 1902	183,224.05	741.5	704,512
Cuyahoga Valley	Ohio	October 11, 2000	32,571.88	131.8	2,237,997
Death Valley	California, Nevada	October 31, 1994	3,408,406.73	13,793.30	1,740,945	Biosphere Reserve
Denali	Alaska	February 26, 1917	4,740,911.16	19,185.80	601,152	Biosphere Reserve
Dry Tortugas	Florida	October 26, 1992	64,701.22	261.8	79,200	Biosphere Reserve
Everglades	Florida	May 30, 1934	1,508,938.57	6,106.50	1,118,300	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Gates of the Arctic	Alaska	December 2, 1980	7,523,897.45	30,448.10	10,518
Gateway Arch	Missouri	February 22, 2018	192.83	0.8	2,055,309
Glacier	Montana	May 11, 1910	1,013,125.99	4,100.00	3,049,839	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Glacier Bay	Alaska	December 2, 1980	3,223,383.43	13,044.60	672,087	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Grand Canyon	Arizona	February 26, 1919	1,201,647.03	4,862.90	5,974,411	World Heritage Site
Grand Teton	Wyoming	February 26, 1929	310,044.36	1,254.70	3,405,614	Biosphere Reserve
Great Basin	Nevada	October 27, 1986	77,180.00	312.3	131,802
Great Sand Dunes	Colorado	September 13, 2004	107,341.87	434.4	527,546
Great Smoky Mountains	North Carolina, Tennessee	June 15, 1934	522,426.88	2,114.20	12,547,743	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Guadalupe Mountains	Texas	October 15, 1966	86,367.10	349.5	188,833
Haleakalā	Hawaii	July 1, 1961	33,264.62	134.6	994,394	Biosphere Reserve
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes	Hawaii	August 1, 1916	325,605.28	1,317.70	1,368,376	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Hot Springs	Arkansas	March 4, 1921	5,554.15	22.5	1,467,153
Indiana Dunes	Indiana	February 15, 2019	15,349.08	62.1	2,134,285
Isle Royale	Michigan	April 3, 1940	571,790.30	2,314.00	26,410	Biosphere Reserve
Joshua Tree	California	October 31, 1994	795,155.85	3,217.90	2,988,547	Biosphere Reserve
Katmai	Alaska	December 2, 1980	3,674,529.33	14,870.30	84,167
Kenai Fjords	Alaska	December 2, 1980	669,650.05	2,710.00	356,601
Kings Canyon	California	March 4, 1940	461,901.20	1,869.20	632,110	Biosphere Reserve
Kobuk Valley	Alaska	December 2, 1980	1,750,716.16	7,084.90	15,766
Lake Clark	Alaska	December 2, 1980	2,619,816.49	10,602.00	17,157
Lassen Volcanic	California	August 9, 1916	106,589.02	431.4	517,039
Mammoth Cave	Kentucky	July 1, 1941	54,011.91	218.6	551,590	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Mesa Verde	Colorado	June 29, 1906	52,485.17	212.4	556,203	World Heritage Site
Mount Rainier	Washington	March 2, 1899	236,381.64	956.6	1,501,621
North Cascades	Washington	October 2, 1968	504,780.94	2,042.80	38,208
Olympic	Washington	June 29, 1938	922,649.41	3,733.80	3,245,806	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Petrified Forest	Arizona	December 9, 1962	221,390.21	895.9	643,588
Pinnacles	California	January 10, 2013	26,685.73	108	177,224
Redwood	California	October 2, 1968	138,999.37	562.5	504,722	World Heritage Site
Rocky Mountain	Colorado	January 26, 1915	265,807.25	1,075.70	4,670,053	Biosphere Reserve
Saguaro	Arizona	October 14, 1994	91,715.72	371.2	1,020,226
Sequoia	California	September 25, 1890	404,062.63	1,635.20	1,246,053	Biosphere Reserve
Shenandoah	Virginia	December 26, 1935	199,223.77	806.2	1,425,507
Theodore Roosevelt	North Dakota	November 10, 1978	70,446.89	285.1	691,658
Virgin Islands	U.S. Virgin Islands	August 2, 1956	15,052.53	60.9	133,398
Voyageurs	Minnesota	April 8, 1975	218,222.35	883.1	232,974
White Sands	New Mexico	December 20, 2019	146,344.31	592.2	608,785
Wind Cave	South Dakota	January 9, 1903	33,970.84	137.5	615,350
Wrangell-St. Elias	Alaska	December 2, 1980	8,323,146.48	33,682.60	74,518	World Heritage Site
Yellowstone	Wyoming, Montana, Idaho	March 1, 1872	2,219,790.71	8,983.20	4,020,288	World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve
Yosemite	California	October 1, 1890	761,747.50	3,082.70	4,422,861	World Heritage Site
Zion	Utah	November 19, 1919	147,242.66	595.9	4,488,268

National Parks in the United States

National Parks in the United States are a testament to the country's commitment to conservation, recreation, and the preservation of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Managed primarily by the National Park Service, a division of the Department of the Interior, the national parks encompass a stunning range of ecosystems, geological formations, and historic sites. Below are key aspects of the U.S. National Parks system:

History and Formation

The concept of national parks in the United States can be traced back to the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, making it the first of its kind not just in the U.S. but in the world. The National Park Service was later created in 1916 to manage and maintain these growing numbers of parks. Over time, the system has expanded to include more than 60 designated national parks across the continental U.S., Alaska, and U.S. territories.

Geographic Diversity

Mountainous Regions:

Parks like Rocky Mountain in Colorado, Glacier in Montana, and Denali in Alaska showcase the stunning mountainous terrain of the U.S.

Deserts:

Arches in Utah and Death Valley in California and Nevada offer striking desert landscapes and geological formations.

Forests:

From the temperate rainforests in Olympic National Park in Washington to the hardwood forests in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, these parks preserve vital forest ecosystems.

Coastal and Marine Areas:

Acadia National Park in Maine and Channel Islands National Park in California protect coastal and marine environments.

Historical and Cultural Sites:

Some parks, such as Gettysburg National Military Park, are designated to preserve crucial historic sites.

Popular Parks

Yellowstone National Park:

Known for its geysers and hot springs, as well as its diverse wildlife like bison and elk.

Grand Canyon National Park:

Famous for its immense size and intricate and colorful landscape, offering some of the most stunning vistas in the world.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

Renowned for its biodiversity, mist-covered mountains, and well-preserved historic buildings.

Yosemite National Park:

Known for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, and giant sequoia groves.

Educational and Recreational Opportunities

National Parks serve as outdoor classrooms that offer numerous educational programs for both young and old. They are also hotspots for a variety of recreational activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, and water sports, among others.

Conservation Efforts

Conservation is one of the core missions of the National Park Service. Efforts include habitat restoration, wildlife protection, and environmental education programs. Many parks also collaborate with local communities and indigenous populations for sustainable management practices.

Challenges and Issues

While the parks are immensely popular, attracting millions of visitors each year, this popularity comes with challenges such as overcrowding, pollution, and strain on natural resources. Climate change also poses a significant threat, affecting wildlife habitats and increasing the risk of wildfires and floods.

Economic Impact

National parks are not just natural and cultural treasures; they are also economic engines. They contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy annually, supporting tens of thousands of jobs related to tourism and outdoor recreation.

The National Parks of the United States are a diverse and precious collection of landscapes and landmarks that offer an unparalleled scope for education, recreation, and conservation. They embody the country's commitment to preserving its natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations while serving as a model for similar initiatives worldwide.