US National Parks by State

Preserving America’s Natural and Cultural Heritage

In 1872, before the U.S. had even seen its hundredth birthday, Yellowstone National Park was established to welcome the adventurous in the wild, rugged territory of Wyoming. It had been a decision arrived at with some practicality: Conservationists wanted to protect the area’s natural treasures — geysers, canyons, waterfalls and hot springs; the army wanted a secure base of operations in the region, and railroad entrepreneurs wanted to give the public a great excuse to ride their new routes westward.

In the best of the American tradition, these demands arrived at mutual satisfaction, but since Wyoming was not yet a state, there was no state government to administer a park there. The task of managing the park therefore fell to the federal government, establishing a national park — the first in a long line of protected areas that would come to protect not only America’s natural beauty, but also its rich cultural heritage.

Today, thanks to the conservation efforts of concerned citizens, forward-thinking legislators and benevolent philanthropists, we may walk among groves of giant sequoias in California, drive the scenic byways of the Shenandoah, catch the first rays of the sun in Maine and marvel at the dusk light-painted walls of the Grand Canyon. We can walk the volcanoes of Hawaii and tour the glaciers of Alaska. We can learn about the life ways of native peoples and pioneers, and stay overnight in historic lodges and cabins. And, in doing so, we too contribute to the preservation of America’s greatest treasures.

There are 58 national parks in the National Park Service. See below for a complete list of the national parks by state:

Alaska

• Denali National Park and Preserve
• Gates of the Arctic National Park
• Glacier Bay National Park
• Katmai National Park and Preserve
• Kenai Fjords National Park
• Kobuk Valley National Park
• Lake Clark National Park

American Samoa

• National Park of American Samoa

Arizona

• Grand Canyon National Park
• Petrified Forest National Park
• Saguaro National Park

Arkansas

• Hot Springs National Park

California

• Channel Islands National Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Kings Canyon National Park
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Redwood National Park
• Sequoia National Park
• Yosemite National Park

Colorado

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Mesa Verde National Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park

Florida

• Biscayne National Park
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park

Hawaii

• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
• Haleakalā National Park

Kentucky

• Mammoth Cave National Park

Maine

• Acadia National Park

Michigan

• Isle Royale National Park

Minnesota

• Voyageurs National Park

Montana

• Glacier National Park

Nevada

• Great Basin National Park

New Mexico

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park

North Carolina

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park

North Dakota

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Ohio

• Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Oregon

• Crater Lake National Park

South Carolina

• Congaree National Park

South Dakota

• Badlands National Park
• Wind Cave National Park

Tennessee

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Texas

• Big Bend National Park
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park

United States Virgin Islands

• Virgin Islands National Park

Utah

• Arches National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Zion National Park

Virginia

• Shenandoah National Park

Washington

• Mount Rainier National Park
• North Cascades National Park
• Olympic National Park

Wyoming

• Grand Teton National Park
• Yellowstone National Park