U.S. National Parks Map

This interactive map shows the United States Administrative Boundaries of the National Park System. To find the names and information about the parks, hover over the map. To learn more, scroll down.

Designation
National ParkNational MonumentNational RecreationNational Preserve
National RiverNational BattlefieldNational MilitaryNational Historic
National LakeshoreNational MemorialNational ReserveNational Scenic
National SeashoreNational River

U.S. NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

This map has 426 boundaries of the U.S. National Park System. This map includes name, state, type of national park, and Area in acres.

13 National Parks are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO Sites have spectacular landscapes, unique biodiversity, and cultural significance to make them part of their list.

21 National Parks are also UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. These Reserves find a way of improving the relationship between people and their local environment.

Finally, 27 National Parks have a Dark Sky Designation. These sites ensure that the skies are dark enough for stargazing at night.

The agency in charge of National Parks is the Department of Interior. To become a national park, an area must possess a nationally significant, natural, recreational, or cultural resource.

National Park System Classification

The U.S. National Park Service has at least 19 different designations, but they are commonly known as parks. For convenience, they are grouped into 13 different classes.

Glacier National Park

You can see them at the bottom of the map. Each National Park class has a different color. The exact designation is visible when you hover over each park.

National Parks encompass large areas and protect their resources. A national monument protects a resource but is usually smaller than a park and has a historical or archaeological significance.

National Seashores and Lakeshores protect water areas, and these areas provide different recreational activities.

National scenic trails are footpaths in areas of natural beauty. Historic trails recognize routes of historical significance. Source: NPS

If you would like to look in detail at some of these trails from the National Parks, I suggest you buy this collection from Amazon: National Parks Trail Map Collection. It includes topographic trail maps of the major Parks. The set comes in a box. The maps are waterproof and tearproof, so you can actually use them while outdoors!



Most Visited National Parks in the USA

There are many reasons why a park is frequently visited. Some parks benefit from their closeness to large populations. Others benefit from the ease of access. Because each park has its attributes, it is unfair to compare them just on visitor numbers.

This list is for you to start or to make sure you can avoid crowds next time you decide to go to a National Park.

The total number of visitors in 2019 was 327,516,619. The number of visitors ranked by park is from 2020, source: NPS.

ParkStateVisitors in millions
Great Smoky MountainsNorth Carolina12.1
YellowstoneWyoming3.8
ZionUtah3.6
Rocky MountainColorado3.3
Grand TetonWyoming3.3
Grand CanyonArizona2.9
Cuyahoga ValleyOhio2.8
AcadiaMaine2.7
OlympicWashington2.5
Joshua TreeCalifornia2.4

If you would like to read detailed descriptions of the major National Parks, this book highlights each park's extraordinary features. It has stories and impressive pictures about these incredible landmarks. Here is the link from Amazon: National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks.

Timeline of the Most Visited National Parks in the USA

Amazing Facts About U.S. National Parks

Because this is a compilation of National Parks, here are some interesting facts about the U.S. National Parks.

  • The oldest park is Yellowstone National Park. It was founded in 1872.
  • California has the most National Parks, with a total of 9 parks.
  • Three of the highest waterfalls are located in Yosemite National Park in California.
  • Zion National Park
  • Death Valley National Park has the hottest temperatures recorded on Earth. They reached 134°F (56°C).
  • The deepest point in the United States is Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, California. This basin is 282 feet (86m) below sea level.
  • The Grand Canyon is considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
  • The smallest national park is Gateway Arch, Missouri, it’s only 91 acres. The next smallest park is Hot Springs NP in Arkansas with 5,600 acres.
  • Denali (also known as Mount McKinley) in Denali National Park, Alaska, is the highest mountain in North America.
  • There are few ice caves worldwide and one of them is Glacier Ice Caves in Root and Kennicott glaciers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in Alaska.
  • Glacier Bay National Park and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska combined with the Kluane National Park and Preserve in Yukon, and the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada make the larest portected area in the world with approximately 8.5 million hectares.
  • Sequoia National Park is home to the world's largest single-stem organism in the world. General Sherman is a sequoia tree that measures 275 feet.
  • Bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) are extraordinary for being the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. They are found at the Great Basin National Park in Nevada.
  • Congaree National Park in South Carolina is the habitat of the Synchronous Fireflies. This rare species of fireflies are known for synchronizing their flashing light patterns. This is such a rare event that there is a lottery to witness it.
  • Denali National Park
  • The deepest lake in the U.S. is Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The lake is 1,943 feet (592 meters) deep. This lake also has one of the most transparent waters. U.V. light penetrates as deep as 320 feet (100 m).
  • At the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park drivers drive on the left hand side of the road.
  • The U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument has the first known species of coral and sponges to live at the base of mangrove trees.
  • There are only 2 underwater monuments. Both in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky has the most extensive cave system globally. It has more than 3,454 miles mapped.
  • Painted Cave, in Channel Islands National Park California is not just beautiful but the fourth largest sea cave worldwide.
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico is home to the U.S.'s deepest cave. It is 1,593 feet (485m) deep.
  • Delaware has no National Parks or National Monuments.
  • There are about 25 active glaciers and more than 700 lakes of various sizes inside Glacier National Park, Montana.
  • Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park is the tallest active geyser globally. Yellowstone is also the most significant geyser locale globally, with thousands of springs and about 400 geysers.
  • Arches National Park in Utah has the largest concentration of stone arches worldwide.
  • Arches National Park
  • Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska is the least visited National Park.
  • In Alaska, two national parks are north of the Arctic Circle: Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Kobuk Valley National Park.
  • The National Park of American Samoa is the only National Park Service south of the equator. Most of the park is coral reefs.
  • Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet. It is found in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
  • The most remote unit of the National Parks is the National Park of American Samoa. It is located 2,600 miles (4,184 km) southwest of Hawaii. This is also the only park south of the Equator.
  • The Kilawea volcano, also found at Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park has the Kazumura lava tube system. This is believed to be the world's largest lava tube in the world. It is more than is more than 40 miles (65 km) long.
  • The Lava Beds National Monument in California has the largest concentration of lava tubes worldwide.
  • The Everglades National Park is one of the most extensive wetlands in the world (but it used to be much larger). It is also the largest remaining subtropical wilderness left in North America.
  • The Everglades is also composed of one of the largest contiguous stands of protected mangroves in the Northern Hemisphere.

In case you want to fly to any of these locations, rent a car, and experience the parks in all their beauty, get great deals from Expedia!



U.S. States and Their Parks

This table has the names of all U.S. states. Each name has a link to a page with an interactive map of the National Parks, State Parks, National Forests, Reserves, and Bureau of Land Management Units of every state.

Alabama

Indiana

Nebraska

South Carolina

Alaska

Iowa

Nevada

South Dakota

Arizona

Kansas

New Hampshire

Tennessee

Arkansas

Kentucky

New Jersey

Texas

California

Louisiana

New Mexico

Utah

Colorado

Maine

New York

Vermont

Connecticut

Maryland

North Carolina

Virginia

Delaware

Massachusetts

North Dakota

Washington

Florida

Michigan

Ohio

West Virginia

Georgia

Minnesota

Oklahoma

Wisconsin

Hawaii

Mississippi

Oregon

Wyoming

Idaho

Missouri

Pennsylvania

Illinois

Montana

Rhode Island

Because there are more National Parks than those present in each state. Here are the U.S. Territories with links to their pages and respective National Parks and Preserves.

Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

American Samoa

Many of the parks in these states have camping and RV access. If you prefer a more comfortable stay in a nearby location, don't hesitate to visit VRBO.

Largest National Parks in the USA

The size of a National Park might not sound important once you are talking about millions of acres.

Nevertheless, in ecological terms, it is important for these habitats, to sustain wildlife. Many times this is achieved through large continuous, uninterrupted masses of land.

Large sizes ensure that herbivores find enough plants to graze on, and carnivores have a large area to hunt and feed themselves.

From an ecological point of view, the size of a park becomes essential. As for tourism, the previous examples show us which parks will have more sites to impress us.

But, they also show us which might saturate with visitors in peak tourist season. Meanwhile, large parks might give us the distance and space from others that are not provided in popular parks.

The National Park system has more than 85 million acres. Below is the list of the largest parks. These values include National Parks and Preserves.

ParkStateAcres in millions
Wrangell-St. EliasAlaska8.3
Gates of the ArcticAlaska7.5
DenaliAlaska4.7
KatmaiAlaska3.6
Death ValleyCalifornia3.3
Glacier BayAlaska3.2
Lake ClarkAlaska2.6
YellowstoneWyoming, Montana, Idaho2.2
Kobuk ValleyAlaska1.7
EvergladesFlorida1.5
Grand Canyon National ParkArizona1.2
GlacierMontana1.0
OlympicWashington9.2
Big BendTexas8.0
Joshua TreeCalifornia7.8
YosemiteMontana7.6

Fortunately for visitors, these popular parks have large and comfortable stays and resorts. Prices, dates, and amenities in Hotels.com.



National Parks by State

Below is a list of National Parks by state. Some National Parks may appear more than once because they may be shared by more than one state.

StatePark
AlaskaDenali National Park
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Katmai National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
American SamoaNational Park of American Samoa
ArizonaGrand Canyon National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Saguaro National Park
ArkansasHot Springs National Park
CaliforniaChannel Islands National Park
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Pinnacles National Park
Redwood National Park
Sequoia National Park
Yosemite National Park
ColoradoBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Mesa Verde National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
FloridaBiscayne National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
HawaiiHaleakala National Park
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
IdahoYellowstone National Park
KentuckyMammoth Cave National Park
IndianaIndiana Dunes National Park
MaineAcadia National Park
MichiganIsle Royale National Park
MinnesotaVoyageurs National Park
MissouriGateway Arch National Park
MontanaGlacier National Park
Yellowstone National Park
NevadaDeath Valley National Park
Great Basin National Park
New MexicoCarlsbad Caverns National Park
White Sands National Park
North DakotaTheodore Roosevelt National Park
North CarolinaGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
OhioCuyahoga Valley National Park
OregonCrater Lake National Park
South CarolinaCongaree National Park
South DakotaBadlands National Park
Wind Cave National Park
TennesseeGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
TexasBig Bend National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
UtahArches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Zion National Park
Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands National Park
VirginiaShenandoah National Park
WashingtonMount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park
WyomingGrand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park

IUCN Protected Areas and National Parks

IUCN is a program within the World Commission on Protected Areas. IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation.

Protected Areas are "a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values".

Bryce National Park

"Protected areas – national parks, wilderness areas, community conserved areas, nature reserves and so on – are a mainstay of biodiversity conservation, while also contributing to people’s livelihoods, particularly at the local level." Source: IUCN Programme

IUCN helps countries designate and manage these areas so they can value and conserve biodiversity while sharing its benefits equitably.

IUCN Protected Areas Categories

As you explore each state through the links above, you may read that some have an IUCN category.

Their purpose is to classify protected areas according to their management objectives.

These excerpts are summarized from IUCN Categories System:

  • Ia Strict Nature Reserve: Category Ia are strictly protected areas set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphic features.
  • Ib Wilderness Area: Category Ib protected areas are usually large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character.
  • II National Park: Category II protected areas are large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities.
  • III Natural Monument or Feature: Category III protected areas are set aside to protect a specific natural monument.
  • IV Habitat/Species Management Area: Category IV protected areas aim to protect particular species or habitats and management reflects this priority.
  • V Protected Landscape/ Seascape: A protected area where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character.
  • VI Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources: Category VI protected areas conserve ecosystems and habitats together with associated cultural values and traditional natural resource management systems.

National Parks Revision

This map used to be about North America's National Parks and include the National Parks of Canada and National Parks of Mexico. It seemed logical to show adjacent parks to those in neighboring countries. Nevertheless, each nation deserved its own page. So I created one for each country.

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U.S. National Parks Map Resources

The shapefiles with data for the United States National Parks were obtained from NPS.

The shapefiles with state polygons were downloaded from Naturalearth.

This map will be updated with improved and recent information! To receive updates on this and more nature maps, join my email list!!!!!!!

Made by Luz K. Molina with D3.js.

Map of National Parks of the United States

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