The National Park System
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Source: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
The National Park System of the United States is run by the National Park Service, a bureau of the Department of the Interior. Yellowstone, which was opened in 1872, was the first national park in the world. The system includes not only the most extraordinary and spectacular scenic exhibits in the United States, but also a large number of sites distinguished either for their historic importance, prehistoric importance, or scientific interest, or for their superior recreational assets. The National Park System is made up of 376 areas covering more than 83 million acres in every state except Delaware. It also includes areas in the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Here is a list of some of the National Park System's sites. See also the excellent Web site of the Park Service: www.nps.gov.
Note: n.a. means “not available.”
NATIONAL PARKS
| Name, location, and year authorized | Acreage | Outstanding characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Acadia (Maine), 1919 | 46,998.43 | Rugged seashore on Mt. Desert Island and adjacent mainland |
| Arches (Utah), 1971 | 73,378.98 | Unusual stone arches, windows, pedestals caused by erosion |
| Badlands (S.D.), 1978 | 242,755.94 | Arid land of fossils, prairie, bison, deer, bighorn, antelope |
| Big Bend (Tex.), 1935 | 801,163.21 | Mountains and desert bordering the Rio Grande |
| Biscayne (Fla.), 1980 | 172,924.07 | Aquatic and coral reef park south of Miami; was a national monument, 1968–1980 |
| Bryce Canyon (Utah), 1924 | 35,835.08 | Area of grotesque, brilliantly colored eroded rocks |
| Canyonlands (Utah), 1964 | 337,570.43 | Colorful wilderness with impressive red-rock canyons, spires, arches |
| Capitol Reef (Utah), 1971 | 241,904.26 | Highly colored sedimentary rock formations in high, narrow gorges |
| Carlsbad Caverns (N.M.), 1930 | 46,766.45 | The world's largest known caves |
| Channel Islands (Calif.), 1980 | 249,353.77 | Area is rich in marine mammals, sea birds, endangered species, and archeology |
| Crater Lake (Ore.), 1902 | 183,224.05 | Deep blue lake in heart of inactive volcano |
| Death Valley (Calif.-Nev.), 1994 | 3,367,627.68 | Largest desert, surrounded by high mountains, containing the lowest point in the Western hemisphere |
| Denali (Alaska), 1917 | 4,741,800.00 | Mt. McKinley National Park was renamed and enlarged by Act of Dec. 2, 1980. Contains Mt. McKinley, N. America's highest mountain (20,320 ft.) |
| Dry Tortugas (Fla.), 1992 | 64,700.00 | Formerly Ft. Jefferson National Monument. Located 70 miles off Key West. Features an underwater nature trail |
| Everglades (Fla.), 1934 | 1,507,850.00 | Subtropical area with abundant bird and animal life |
| Gates of the Arctic (Alaska), 1980 | 7,523,898.00 | Diverse north central wilderness contains part of Brooks Range |
| Glacier (Mont.), 1910 | 1,013,572.42 | Rocky Mountain scenery with many glaciers and lakes |
| Glacier Bay (Alaska), 1980 | 3,224,794.00 | Park was a national monument 1925–1980; popular for wildlife, whale-watching, glacier-calving, and scenery |
| Grand Canyon (Ariz.), 1919 | 1,217,158.32 | Mile-deep gorge, 4 to 18 miles wide, 217 miles long |
| Grand Teton (Wyo.), 1929 | 309,994.72 | Picturesque range of high mountain peaks |
| Great Basin (Nev.), 1986 | 77,180.00 | Exceptional scenic, biologic, and geologic attractions |
| Great Smoky Mts. (N.C.-Tenn), 1926 | 521,621.00 | Highest mountain range east of Black Hills; luxuriant plant life |
| Guadalupe Mountains (Tex.), 1966 | 86,415.97 | Contains highest point in Texas: Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft.) |
| Haleakala (Hawaii), 1960 | 28,091.14 | World-famous 10,023-ft. Haleakala volcano (dormant) |
| Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii), 1916 | 209,695.38 | Spectacular volcanic area; luxuriant vegetation at lower levels |
| Hot Springs (Ark.), 1921 | 5,549.46 | 47 mineral hot springs said to have therapeutic value |
| Isle Royale (Mich.), 1931 | 571,790.11 | Largest wilderness island in Lake Superior; moose, wolves, lakes |
| Joshua Tree (Calif.), 1936 | 792,749.87 | Desert region featuring Joshua trees and a great variety of plants and animals. |
| Katmai (Alaska), 1980 | 3,674,540.87 | Expansion may assist in brown bear's preservation. Park was national monument 1918–1980; is known for fishing, 1912 volcano eruption, bears |
| Kenai Fjords (Alaska), 1980 | 670,642.79 | Mountain goats, marine mammals, birdlife are features at this seacoast park near Seward |
| Kings Canyon (Calif.), 1940 | 461,901.20 | Huge canyons; high mountains; giant sequoias |
| Kobuk Valley (Alaska), 1980 | 1,750,736.86 | Native culture and anthropology center around the broad Kobuk River in northwest Alaska |
| Lake Clark (Alaska), 1980 | 2,636,839.00 | Park provides scenic and wilderness recreation across Cook Inlet from Anchorage |
| Lassen Volcanic (Calif.), 1916 | 106,372.36 | Exhibits of impressive volcanic phenomena |
| Mammoth Cave (Ky.), 1926 | 52,830.19 | Vast limestone labyrinth with underground river |
| Mesa Verde (Colo.), 1906 | 52,121.93 | Best-preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in United States |
| Mount Rainier (Wash.), 1899 | 235,612.50 | Single-peak glacial system; dense forests, flowered meadows |
| National Park of American Samoa, (American Samoa) 1988 | 9,000.00 | Two rain forest preserves and a coral reef on the island of Ofu are home to unique tropical animals. The park also includes several thousand acres on the islands of Tutuila and Ta'u |
| North Cascades (Wash.), 1968 | 504,780.94 | Roadless Alpine landscape; jagged peaks; mountain lakes; glaciers |
| Olympic (Wash.), 1938 | 922,651.01 | Finest Pacific Northwest temperate rain forest; scenic mountain park |
| Petrified Forest (Ariz.), 1962 | 93,532.57 | Extensive natural exhibit of petrified wood |
| Redwood (Calif.), 1968 | 110,232.40 | Coastal redwood forests; contains world's tallest known tree (369.2 ft.) |
| Rocky Mountain (Colo.), 1915 | 265,727.15 | Section of the Rocky Mountains; 107 named peaks over 10,000 ft. |
| Saguaro (Ariz.), 1994 | 91,452.95 | Giant saguaro cacti, unique to the Sonoran Desert, sometimes reach a height of 50 ft. in this cactus forest |
| Sequoia (Calif.), 1890 | 402,482.38 | Giant sequoias; magnificent High Sierra scenery, including Mt. Whitney |
| Shenandoah (Va.), 1926 | 197,388.98 | Tree-covered mountains; scenic Skyline Drive |
| Theodore Roosevelt (N.D.), 1978 | 70,446.89 | Scenic valley of Little Missouri River; T.R. Ranch; wildlife |
| Virgin Islands (U.S. V.I.), 1956 | 14,688.87 | Beaches; lush hills; prehistoric Carib Indian relics |
| Voyageurs (Minn.), 1971 | 218,035.33 | Wildlife, canoeing, fishing, and hiking |
| Wind Cave (S.D.), 1903 | 28,295.03 | Limestone caverns in Black Hills; buffalo herd |
| Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska), 1980 | 8,323,617.68 | Largest Park System area has abundant wildlife, second highest peak in U.S. (Mt. St. Elias); adjoins Canadian park |
| Yellowstone (Wyo.-Mont.-Idaho), 1872 | 2,219,790.71 | World's greatest geyser area; abundant falls, wildlife, and canyons |
| Yosemite (Calif.), 1890 | 761,236.20 | Mountains; inspiring gorges and waterfalls; giant sequoias |
| Zion (Utah), 1919 | 146,597.61 | Multicolored gorge in heart of southern Utah desert |
National Monuments
| Name and location | Total acreage |
| Agate Fossil Beds (Neb.) | 3,055.22 |
| Alibates Flint Quarries (Tex.) | 1,370.97 |
| Aniakchak (Alaska) | 137,176.00 |
| Aztec Ruins (N.M.) | 319.73 |
| Bandelier (N.M.) | 32,737.20 |
| Black Canyon (Colo.) | 20,766.14 |
| Booker T. Washington (Va.) | 223.92 |
| Buck Island Reef (U.S. V.I.) | 880.00 |
| Cabrillo (Calif.) | 137.06 |
| Canyon de Chelly (Ariz.) | 83,840.00 |
| Cape Krusenstern (Alaska) | 659,807.00 |
| Capulin Volcano (N.M.) | 792.84 |
| Casa Grande (Ariz.) | 472.50 |
| Castillo de San Marcos (Fla.) | 20.51 |
| Castle Clinton (N.Y.) | 1.00 |
| Cedar Breaks (Utah) | 6,154.60 |
| Chiricahua (Ariz.) | 11,984.73 |
| Colorado (Colo.) | 20,453.93 |
| Congaree Swamp (S.C.) | 22,200.00 |
| Craters of the Moon (Idaho) | 53,440.05 |
| Devils Postpile (Calif.) | 798.46 |
| Devils Tower (Wyo.) | 1,346.91 |
| Dinosaur (Utah-Colo.) | 210,844.02 |
| Effigy Mounds (Iowa) | 1,481.39 |
| El Malpais (N.M.) | 114,275.95 |
| El Morro (N.M.) | 1,278.72 |
| Florissant Fossil Beds (Colo.) | 5,998.09 |
| Fort Frederica (Ga.) | 241.42 |
| Fort Matanzas (Fla.) | 227.76 |
| Fort McHenry (Md.) | 43.26 |
| Fort Pulaski (Ga.) | 5,623.10 |
| Fort Stanwix (N.Y.) | 15.52 |
| Fort Sumter (S.C.) | 194.60 |
| Fort Union (N.M.) | 720.60 |
| Fossil Butte (Wyo.) | 8,198.00 |
| George Washington Birthplace (Va.) | 553.23 |
| George Washington Carver (Mo.) | 210.00 |
| Gila Cliff Dwellings (N.M.) | 533.13 |
| Grand Portage (Minn.) | 709.97 |
| Great Sand Dunes (Colo.) | 38,662.18 |
| Hagerman Fossil Beds (Idaho) | 4,345.59 |
| Hohokam Pima (Ariz.) | 1,690.00 |
| Homestead (Neb.) | 195.11 |
| Hovenweep (Utah-Colo.) | 784.93 |
| Jewel Cave (S.D.) | 1,273.51 |
| John Day Fossil Beds (Ore.) | 14,014.58 |
| Lava Beds (Calif.) | 46,559.87 |
| Little Big Horn Battlefield (Mont.) | 765.34 |
| Montezuma Castle (Ariz.) | 857.69 |
| Muir Woods (Calif.) | 553.55 |
| Natural Bridges (Utah) | 7,636.49 |
| Navajo (Ariz.) | 360.00 |
| Ocmulgee (Ga.) | 701.54 |
| Oregon Caves (Ore.) | 487.98 |
| Organ Pipe Cactus (Ariz.) | 330,688.86 |
| Petroglyph (N.M.) | 7,240.33 |
| Pinnacles (Calif.) | 16,265.44 |
| Pipe Spring (Ariz.) | 40.00 |
| Pipestone (Minn.) | 281.78 |
| Poverty Point (La.) | 910.85 |
| Rainbow Bridge (Utah) | 160.00 |
| Russell Cave (Ala.) | 310.45 |
| Salinas (N.M.) | 1,071.42 |
| Scotts Bluff (Neb.) | 3,003.03 |
| Statue of Liberty (N.Y.-N.J.) | 58.38 |
| Sunset Crater (Ariz.) | 3,040.00 |
| Timpanogos Cave (Utah) | 250.00 |
| Tonto (Ariz.) | 1,120.00 |
| Tuzigoot (Ariz.) | 800.62 |
| Walnut Canyon (Ariz.) | 3,541.46 |
| White Sands (N.M.) | 143,732.92 |
| Wupatki (Ariz.) | 35,442.13 |
| Yucca House (Colo.) | 33.87 |
National Scenic Trails
| Name and location | Total acreage |
| Appalachian (Maine-N.H.-Vt.-Mass.-Conn.-N.Y.-N.J.- Pa.-Md.-W.Va.-Va.-N.C.-Tenn., Ga.) | 172,109.93 |
| Natchez Trace (Ga.-Ala.-Tenn.) | 10,995.00 |
| Potomac Heritage (D.C.-Md.-Va.-Pa.) | n.a. |
National Cemeteries1
| Name and location | Total acreage |
| Andersonville (Ga.) | 494.61 |
| Andrew Johnson (Tenn.) | 16.68 |
| Antietam (Md.) | 11.36 |
| Battleground (D.C.) | 1.03 |
| Fort Donelson (Tenn.) | 15.30 |
| Fredericksburg (Va.) | 12.00 |
| Gettysburg (Pa.) | 20.58 |
| Little Big Horn (Mont.) | 765.34 |
| Poplar Grove (Va.) | 8.72 |
| Shiloh (Tenn.) | 10.05 |
| Stones River (Tenn.) | 719.81 |
| Vicksburg (Miss.) | 116.28 |
| Yorktown (Va.) | 2.91 |
1. The National Cemeteries are not independent areas of the National Park System; each is part of a military park, battlefield, etc., except Battleground. Their acreage is kept separately. Arlington National Cemetery is under the Department of the Army.
