National Park Journeys

Travels to the Redwoods

https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2Y5

audio file

During the course of my life, I have visited the majority of the 63  national parks in the United States, as well as most of the national monuments, and many of the battlegrounds as well.. One of my favorites has been the Redwood

s National Park located in Northwest California near my summer home in Medford, Oregon. I just got back from my 10th visit

over the years.  I first visited this park in 1963 as a child and I awestruck by the beauty of the majestic redwoods.

All in on all great day.

here’s the list of  List of national parks of the United States – I have bolded the ones I have visited, and put a star next to the ones still on my bucket list  Now that I have visited all 50 states my remaining travel bucket list includes visiting all the national parks.

0regon Reflections

Visit to Bend, Oregon

Seattle Travels

Portland

 

HIking Hobart’s Ridge Near Ashland, Oregon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1938 poster promoting Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Interactive map (incomplete) of the National Parks of the United States.

The United States has 63 national parks, which are congressionally designated protected areas operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior.[1] National parks are designated for their natural beauty, unique geological features, diverse ecosystems, and recreational opportunities, typically “because of some outstanding scenic feature or natural phenomena.”[2] While legislatively all units of the National Park System are considered equal with the same mission, national parks are generally larger and more of a destination, and hunting and extractive activities are prohibited.[3] National monuments, on the other hand, are also frequently protected for their historical or archaeological significance. Eight national parks (including six in Alaska) are paired with a national preserve, areas with different levels of protection that are administered together but considered separate units and whose areas are not included in the figures below. The 430 units of the National Park System can be broadly referred to as national parks, but most have other formal designations.[4]

National parks

[edit]

Main article: List of national parks of the United States

There are 63 officially designated national parks in the United States and its dependent areas, as of 2021.^[2] The national parks are considered the “crown jewels” of the system and are typically larger than other areas, including a variety of significant ecological and geological resources.

North Cascades National ParkHaleakalā National ParkJoshua Tree National ParkDry Tortugas National ParkShenandoah National ParkBadlands National ParkGuadalupe Mountains National ParkArches National ParkOlympic National ParkCuyahoga Valley National ParkGateway Arch National Park

Name	Location	Year established	Area (2024)[3][4]
Acadia National Park	Maine	1919	49,071.40 acres (198.5849 km2)
National Park of American Samoa	American Samoa	1988	8,256.67 acres (33.4136 km2)
Arches National Park	Utah	1971	76,678.98 acres (310.3088 km2)
Badlands National Park	South Dakota	1978	242,742.90 acres (982.3457 km2)
Big Bend National Park	Texas	1944	801,163.21 acres (3,242.1925 km2)
Biscayne National Park	Florida	1980	172,971.11 acres (699.9892 km2)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park	Colorado	1999	30,779.83 acres (124.5616 km2)
Bryce Canyon National Park	Utah	1928	35,835.08 acres (145.0194 km2)
Canyonlands National Park	Utah	1964	337,597.83 acres (1,366.2099 km2)
Capitol Reef National Park	Utah	1971	241,904.50 acres (978.9528 km2)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park	New Mexico	1930	46,766.45 acres (189.2571 km2)
Channel Islands National Park	California	1980	249,561.00 acres (1,009.9375 km2)
Congaree National Park	South Carolina	2003	26,692.60 acres (108.0211 km2)
Crater Lake National Park	Oregon	1902	183,224.05 acres (741.4814 km2)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park	Ohio	2000	32,597.08 acres (131.9157 km2)
Death Valley National Park	California, Nevada	1994	3,408,445.63 acres (13,793.4901 km2)
Denali National Park	Alaska	1917	4,740,911.16 acres (19,185.7868 km2)
Dry Tortugas National Park	Florida	1992	64,701.22 acres (261.8365 km2)
Everglades National Park	Florida	1947	1,508,938.57 acres (6,106.4577 km2)
Gates of the Arctic National Park	Alaska	1980	7,523,897.45 acres (30,448.1327 km2)
Gateway Arch National Park	Missouri	2018	192.83 acres (0.7804 km2)
Glacier National Park (part of Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park)	Montana	1910	1,013,126.39 acres (4,099.9770 km2)
Glacier Bay National Park	Alaska	1980	3,223,383.43 acres (13,044.5699 km2)
Grand Canyon National Park	Arizona	1919	1,201,647.03 acres (4,862.8930 km2)
Grand Teton National Park	Wyoming	1929	310,044.36 acres (1,254.7050 km2)
Great Basin National Park	Nevada	1986	77,180.00 acres (312.3364 km2)
Great Sand Dunes National Park	Colorado	2004	107,336.95 acres (434.3772 km2)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park	North Carolina, Tennessee	1934	522,426.88 acres (2,114.1866 km2)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park	Texas	1966	86,367.10 acres (349.5153 km2)
Haleakalā National Park	Hawaii	1916	33,488.98 acres (135.5251 km2)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park	Hawaii	1916	344,812.18 acres (1,395.4054 km2)
Hot Springs National Park	Arkansas	1921	5,554.15 acres (22.4768 km2)
Indiana Dunes National Park	Indiana	2019	15,615.10 acres (63.1921 km2)
Isle Royale National Park	Michigan	1940	571,790.30 acres (2,313.9532 km2)
Joshua Tree National Park	California	1994	795,155.85 acres (3,217.8816 km2)
Katmai National Park	Alaska	1980	3,674,529.33 acres (14,870.2926 km2)
Kenai Fjords National Park	Alaska	1980	669,650.05 acres (2,709.9776 km2)
Kings Canyon National Park	California	1940	461,901.37 acres (1,869.2485 km2)
Kobuk Valley National Park	Alaska	1980	1,750,716.16 acres (7,084.8969 km2)
Lake Clark National Park	Alaska	1980	2,619,816.49 acres (10,602.0212 km2)
Lassen Volcanic National Park	California	1916	106,589.02 acres (431.3505 km2)
Mammoth Cave National Park	Kentucky	1941	72,041.73 acres (291.5425 km2)
Mesa Verde National Park	Colorado	1906	52,485.17 acres (212.3999 km2)
Mount Rainier National Park	Washington	1899	236,381.64 acres (956.6026 km2)
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve	West Virginia	2020	72,390.91 acres (292.9556 km2)
North Cascades National Park	Washington	1968	504,780.94 acres (2,042.7760 km2)
Olympic National Park	Washington	1938	922,649.41 acres (3,733.8297 km2)
Petrified Forest National Park	Arizona	1962	221,390.21 acres (895.9344 km2)
Pinnacles National Park	California	2013	26,685.73 acres (107.9933 km2)
Redwood National and State Parks	California	1968	139,090.97 acres (562.8812 km2)
Rocky Mountain National Park	Colorado	1915	265,847.74 acres (1,075.8476 km2)
Saguaro National Park	Arizona	1994	92,799.77 acres (375.5473 km2)
Sequoia National Park	California	1890	404,062.63 acres (1,635.1834 km2)
Shenandoah National Park	Virginia	1935	200,445.92 acres (811.1759 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt National Park	North Dakota	1978	70,446.89 acres (285.0884 km2)
Virgin Islands National Park	U.S. Virgin Islands	1956	15,052.33 acres (60.9146 km2)
Voyageurs National Park	Minnesota	1975	218,223.25 acres (883.1182 km2)
White Sands National Park	New Mexico	2019	146,344.31 acres (592.2344 km2)
Wind Cave National Park	South Dakota	1903	33,970.84 acres (137.4751 km2)
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park	Alaska	1980	8,323,146.48 acres (33,682.5788 km2)
Yellowstone National Park	Idaho, Montana, Wyoming	1872	2,219,790.71 acres (8,983.1743 km2)
Yosemite National Park	California	1890	761,747.50 acres (3,082.6828 km2)
Zion National Park	Utah	1919	147,242.66 acres (595.8699 km2)

Former national parks

[edit]

Name	Established	Disbanded	Result
Abraham Lincoln National Park	July 17, 1916	August 11, 1939	Redesignated as Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
Fort McHenry National Park	March 3, 1925	August 11, 1939	Redesignated under the unique designation of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
General Grant National Park	October 1, 1890	March 4, 1940	Incorporated into Kings Canyon National Park
Hawaii National Park	August 1, 1916	September 13, 1960	Divided into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park
Mackinac National Park	April 15, 1875	March 2, 1895	Transferred to Michigan; now operated as Mackinac Island State Park
Platt National Park	June 29, 1906	March 17, 1976	Incorporated with Arbuckle Recreation Area and redesignated Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Rock Creek Park[5]	September 27, 1890	August 10, 1933	Incorporated into National Capital Parks
Sullys Hill National Park	April 27, 1904	March 3, 1931	Transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; now operated as White Horse Hill National Game Preserve

National monuments

[edit]

Main article: List of national monuments of the United States

Devils Tower National MonumentStonewall National MonumentStatue of Liberty National MonumentNatural Bridges National MonumentMuir Woods National MonumentBandelier National MonumentGeorge Washington Carver National Monument

There are 129 national monuments, 84 of which are administered by the NPS and are listed below. Of these, 83 (all except Grand Canyon-Parashant) are NPS official units. The remaining 46 monuments are administered by five other federal agencies. Two, Grand Canyon–Parashant and Craters of the Moon National Monuments, are jointly administered by the NPS and the Bureau of Land Management, and Tule Lake National Monument is joint with the Fish and Wildlife Service. National monuments are typically smaller and protect just one or few major resources. They include both natural and historical sites and can be established by the president under the Antiquities Act. 34 former national monuments have been redesignated or incorporated into national parks.

Name	Location	Area[3][4]
African Burial Ground National Monument	New York	0.35 acres (0.0014 km2)
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument	Nebraska	3,057.87 acres (12.3748 km2)
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument	Texas	1,370.97 acres (5.5481 km2)
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve	Alaska	137,176.00 acres (555.1316 km2)
Aztec Ruins National Monument	New Mexico	318.40 acres (1.2885 km2)
Bandelier National Monument	New Mexico	33,676.67 acres (136.2846 km2)
Belmont–Paul Women’s Equality National Monument	District of Columbia	0.34 acres (0.0014 km2)
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument	Alabama	18.25 acres (0.0739 km2)
Booker T. Washington National Monument	Virginia	239.01 acres (0.9672 km2)
Buck Island Reef National Monument	U.S. Virgin Islands	19,015.47 acres (76.9529 km2)
Cabrillo National Monument	California	159.94 acres (0.6473 km2)
Camp Nelson National Monument	Kentucky	464.97 acres (1.8817 km2)
Canyon de Chelly National Monument	Arizona	83,840.00 acres (339.2884 km2)
Cape Krusenstern National Monument	Alaska	649,096.15 acres (2,626.7989 km2)
Capulin Volcano National Monument	New Mexico	792.84 acres (3.2085 km2)
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument	Arizona	472.50 acres (1.9121 km2)
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument	Florida	19.38 acres (0.0784 km2)
Castle Clinton National Monument	New York	1.00 acre (0.0040 km2)
Castle Mountains National Monument	California	21,025.50 acres (85.0872 km2)
Cedar Breaks National Monument	Utah	6,154.60 acres (24.9068 km2)
César E. Chávez National Monument	California	116.56 acres (0.4717 km2)
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument	Ohio	59.66 acres (0.2414 km2)
Chiricahua National Monument	Arizona	12,024.73 acres (48.6624 km2)
Colorado National Monument	Colorado	20,536.39 acres (83.1078 km2)
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve	Idaho	53,437.64 acres (216.2545 km2)
Devils Postpile National Monument	California	800.19 acres (3.2383 km2)
Devils Tower National Monument	Wyoming	1,347.21 acres (5.4520 km2)
Dinosaur National Monument	Utah, Colorado	210,281.92 acres (850.9807 km2)
Effigy Mounds National Monument	Iowa	2,526.39 acres (10.2239 km2)
El Malpais National Monument	New Mexico	114,346.99 acres (462.7459 km2)
El Morro National Monument	New Mexico	1,278.72 acres (5.1748 km2)
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument	Illinois, Mississippi	5.70 acres (0.0231 km2)
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument	Colorado	6,278.09 acres (25.4065 km2)
Fort Frederica National Monument	Georgia	305.34 acres (1.2357 km2)
Fort Matanzas National Monument	Florida	300.11 acres (1.2145 km2)
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine	Maryland	43.26 acres (0.1751 km2)
Fort Monroe National Monument	Virginia	367.12 acres (1.4857 km2)
Fort Pulaski National Monument	Georgia	5,623.10 acres (22.7559 km2)
Fort Stanwix National Monument	New York	15.52 acres (0.0628 km2)
Fort Union National Monument	New Mexico	720.60 acres (2.9162 km2)
Fossil Butte National Monument	Wyoming	8,198.00 acres (33.1761 km2)
Freedom Riders National Monument	Alabama	7.83 acres (0.0317 km2)
George Washington Birthplace National Monument	Virginia	654.19 acres (2.6474 km2)
George Washington Carver National Monument	Missouri	240.00 acres (0.9712 km2)
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument	New Mexico	533.13 acres (2.1575 km2)
Governors Island National Monument	New York	22.91 acres (0.0927 km2)
Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument (not an official NPS unit)	Arizona	NPS manages 208,453 acres (843.58 km2) of 1,048,325 acres (4,242.42 km2)
Grand Portage National Monument	Minnesota	709.97 acres (2.8731 km2)
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument	Idaho	4,351.15 acres (17.6085 km2)
Hohokam Pima National Monument	Arizona	1,690.00 acres (6.8392 km2)
Hovenweep National Monument	Colorado, Utah	784.93 acres (3.1765 km2)
Jewel Cave National Monument	South Dakota	1,273.51 acres (5.1537 km2)
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument	Oregon	14,062.19 acres (56.9077 km2)
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument	Maine	87,564.27 acres (354.3600 km2)
Lava Beds National Monument	California	46,692.42 acres (188.9575 km2)
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument	Montana	765.34 acres (3.0972 km2)
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument	Mississippi	0.74 acres (0.0030 km2)
Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument	Kentucky	1,455.31 acres (5.8894 km2)
Montezuma Castle National Monument	Arizona	1,015.52 acres (4.1097 km2)
Muir Woods National Monument	California	553.55 acres (2.2401 km2)
Natural Bridges National Monument	Utah	7,636.49 acres (30.9038 km2)
Navajo National Monument	Arizona	360.00 acres (1.4569 km2)
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve	Oregon	4,554.03 acres (18.4295 km2)
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument	Arizona	330,688.86 acres (1,338.2503 km2)
Petroglyph National Monument	New Mexico	7,204.43 acres (29.1553 km2)
Pipe Spring National Monument	Arizona	40.00 acres (0.1619 km2)
Pipestone National Monument	Minnesota	297.08 acres (1.2022 km2)
Poverty Point National Monument	Louisiana	910.85 acres (3.6861 km2)
Rainbow Bridge National Monument	Utah	160.00 acres (0.6475 km2)
Russell Cave National Monument	Alabama	310.45 acres (1.2563 km2)
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument	New Mexico	1,071.42 acres (4.3359 km2)
Scotts Bluff National Monument	Nebraska	3,004.73 acres (12.1597 km2)
Statue of Liberty National Monument	New York, New Jersey	58.38 acres (0.2363 km2)
Stonewall National Monument	New York	7.70 acres (0.0312 km2)
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument	Arizona	3,137.71 acres (12.6979 km2)
Timpanogos Cave National Monument	Utah	250.00 acres (1.0117 km2)
Tonto National Monument	Arizona	1,120.00 acres (4.5325 km2)
Tule Lake National Monument	California	37.39 acres (0.1513 km2)
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument	Nevada	22,650.00 acres (91.6613 km2)
Tuzigoot National Monument	Arizona	811.89 acres (3.2856 km2)
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument	U.S. Virgin Islands	12,708.07 acres (51.4277 km2)
Waco Mammoth National Monument	Texas	107.23 acres (0.4339 km2)
Walnut Canyon National Monument	Arizona	3,200.61 acres (12.9524 km2)
Wupatki National Monument	Arizona	35,401.83 acres (143.2661 km2)
Yucca House National Monument	Colorado	33.87 acres (0.1371 km2)

Former national monuments

[edit]

Name	Established	Disbanded	Result
Carlsbad Cave National Monument	October 5, 1923	May 14, 1930	Redesignated as Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Denali National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Incorporated with Mount McKinley National Park and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve
Grand Canyon National Monument	January 11, 1908	February 26, 1919	Redesignated as Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Monument	December 22, 1932	January 3, 1975	Abolished; lands transferred with Marble Canyon National Monument into an expansion of Grand Canyon National Park.[6][7][8][9]
Marble Canyon National Monument	January 20, 1969	January 3, 1975	Abolished; lands transferred with Grand Canyon National Monument into an expansion of Grand Canyon National Park.
Kobuk Valley National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Redesignated as Kobuk Valley National Park
Papago Saguaro National Monument	January 31, 1914	April 7, 1930	Transferred to Arizona; now jointly operated by the cities of Phoenix and Tempe
Pullman National Monument	February 19, 2015	December 29, 2022	Redesignated as Pullman National Historical Park
Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument	May 11, 1908	August 24, 1937	Transferred to Montana; now operated as a state park
Kenai Fjords National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Redesignated as Kenai Fjords National Park
Channel Islands National Monument	April 26, 1938	March 5, 1980	Redesignated as Channel Islands National Park
Father Millet Cross National Monument	August 10, 1933	September 7, 1949	Transferred to New York upon the closing of the adjacent military base; now operated part of Fort Niagara State Park
First State National Monument	March 25, 2013	December 19, 2014	Incorporated into First State National Historical Park
Lake Clark National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Renamed Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument	March 2, 1933	October 21, 1999	Redesignated as Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
		December 19, 2014	The National Park Service areas of this monument were incorporated into Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, and the National Park Service no longer recognizes their portions of the national monument as distinct from the national historical park. The remaining portions of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument continue to be operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mukuntuweap National Monument (renamed Zion National Monument in 1918)	July 31, 1909	November 19, 1919	Redesignated as Zion National Park
Zion National Monument (“the Kolob Canyons area”)	January 22, 1937	July 11, 1956	Incorporated into Zion National Park
Capitol Reef National Monument	August 2, 1937	December 18, 1971	Redesignated as Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Monument	April 12, 1929	November 12, 1971	Redesignated as Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Monument	June 8, 1923	February 25, 1928	Redesignated as Bryce Canyon National Park
Wheeler National Monument	December 7, 1908	August 3, 1950	Returned to United States Forest Service
Holy Cross National Monument	May 11, 1929	August 3, 1950	Returned to United States Forest Service
White Sands National Monument	January 18, 1933	December 20, 2019	Redesignated as White Sands National Park
Jackson Hole National Monument	1943	September 14, 1950	Merged into Grand Teton National Park
Shoshone Cavern National Monument	September 21, 1909	May 17, 1954	Transferred to Cody, Wyoming as a municipal attraction, and later returned to the Bureau of Land Management
Old Kasaan National Monument	October 25, 1916	July 26, 1955	Transferred to United States Forest Service
Castle Pinckney National Monument	August 10, 1933	March 29, 1956	Transferred to South Carolina, and later sold to the Sons of Confederate Veterans; site currently inaccessible and unmaintained
Saguaro National Monument	March 1, 1933	October 4, 1994	Redesignated as Saguaro National Park
Verendrye National Monument	June 29, 1917	July 30, 1956	Transferred to North Dakota after the construction of the Garrison Dam; site currently flooded by the reservoir Lake Sakakawea
Gates of the Arctic National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Renamed Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Fossil Cycad National Monument	October 21, 1922	August 1, 1956	Transferred to Bureau of Land Management because of severe vandalism to the site
Death Valley National Monument	February 11, 1933	October 31, 1994	Redesignated as Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Monument	August 10, 1936	October 31, 1994	Redesignated as Joshua Tree National Park
Ackia Battlefield National Monument	August 27, 1935	August 10, 1961	Incorporated into Natchez Trace Parkway
Meriwether Lewis National Monument	February 6, 1925	August 10, 1961	Incorporated into Natchez Trace Parkway
Katmai National Monument	September 24, 1918	December 2, 1980	Renamed Katmai National Park and Preserve
Mount Olympus National Monument	March 2, 1909	June 29, 1938	Redesignated as Olympic National Park
Petrified Forest National Monument	December 8, 1906	December 9, 1962	Redesignated as Petrified Forest National Park
Lehman Caves National Monument	June 10, 1933	October 27, 1986	Abolished; incorporated into Great Basin National Park[10]
Congaree Swamp National Monument	October 18, 1976	November 10, 2003	Redesignated as Congaree National Park
Glacier Bay National Monument	February 25, 1925	December 2, 1980	Renamed Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Mound City Group National Monument	January 1, 1918	January 2, 1992	Incorporated into Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
Minidoka Internment National Monument	January 17, 2001	May 8, 2008	Redesignated as Minidoka National Historic Site
Pinnacles National Monument	January 16, 1908	January 10, 2013	Redesignated as Pinnacles National Park[11]
Andrew Johnson National Monument	April 27, 1942	December 11, 1963	Redesignated as Andrew Johnson National Historic Site[12]
Sieur de Monts National Monument	July 8, 1916	February 26, 1919	Redesignated as Lafayette National Park (renamed Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929)
Edison Laboratory National Monument	July 14, 1956	September 5, 1962	Combined with Edison Home National Historic Site into Edison National Historic Site, later redesignated Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Wrangell–St. Elias National Monument	December 1, 1978	December 2, 1980	Renamed Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Badlands National Monument	January 29, 1939	November 10, 1978	Redesignated as Badlands National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Monument	March 17, 1932	September 14, 2004	Renamed Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Biscayne National Monument	October 18, 1968	June 28, 1980	Redesignated as Biscayne National Park
Fort Jefferson National Monument	January 4, 1935	October 26, 1992	Redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park
Cinder Cone National Monument	May 6, 1907	August 9, 1916	Merged with Lassen Peak National Monument and redesignated as Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Peak National Monument	May 6, 1907	August 9, 1916	Merged with Cinder Cone National Monument and redesignated as Lassen Volcanic National Park
Homestead National Monument of America	March 19, 1936	January 13, 2021	Redesignated as Homestead National Historical Park

National preserves

[edit]

Main article: National preserve

There are 21 national preserves in the United States, 19 of which are counted by the National Park System as official units. Ten are stand-alone official units, while eleven others are designated areas where hunting or grazing is permitted as part of a larger “national park and preserve” or “national monument and preserve”. Nine of those are counted as separate units, while Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve and New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are single units (there is no functional difference). Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is not officially a national preserve but has similar management policies, while Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is unrelated.

Name	Location	Area (2024)[4]
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve	Alaska	464,117.93 acres (1,878.2186 km2)
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve	Alaska	2,697,391.01 acres (10,915.9541 km2)
Big Cypress National Preserve	Florida	720,564.01 acres (2,916.0191 km2)
Big Thicket National Preserve	Texas	113,121.96 acres (457.7883 km2)
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve	Idaho	698,939.69 acres (2,828.5086 km2)
Denali National Park and Preserve	Alaska	1,334,117.80 acres (5,398.9832 km2)
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve	Alaska	948,608.07 acres (3,838.8807 km2)
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve	Alaska	58,406.00 acres (236.3607 km2)
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve	Colorado	41,686.00 acres (168.6973 km2)
Katmai National Park and Preserve	Alaska	418,698.80 acres (1,694.4139 km2)
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve	Alaska	1,410,293.68 acres (5,707.2560 km2)
Little River Canyon National Preserve	Alabama	15,293.27 acres (61.8897 km2)
Mojave National Preserve	California	1,549,709.37 acres (6,271.4513 km2)
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (not a separate unit)	West Virginia	65,165 acres (263.71 km2)
Noatak National Preserve	Alaska	6,587,071.39 acres (26,656.9322 km2)
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (not a separate unit)	Oregon	4,070 acres (16.5 km2)
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve	Kansas	10,882.67 acres (44.0406 km2)
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve	Florida	46,263.07 acres (187.2200 km2)
Valles Caldera National Preserve	New Mexico	89,831.84 acres (363.5366 km2)
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve	Alaska	4,852,644.89 acres (19,637.9571 km2)
Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve	Alaska	2,526,512.44 acres (10,224.4331 km2)

National historical parks

[edit]

Main article: National Historic Site (United States) § National Historical Parks

The bell tower atop Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell once was based, in

Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical ParkLaboratory building at Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Keweenaw National Historical Park

There are 63 national historical parks.

Name	Location	Area (2024)[4]
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park	Kentucky	344.50 acres (1.3941 km2)
Adams National Historical Park	Massachusetts	23.82 acres (0.0964 km2)
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park	Virginia	1,774.60 acres (7.1816 km2)
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park	Rhode Island, Massachusetts	1,489.00 acres (6.0258 km2)
Boston National Historical Park	Massachusetts	43.82 acres (0.1773 km2)
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park	Kansas, South Carolina	3.15 acres (0.0127 km2)
Cane River Creole National Historical Park	Louisiana	205.50 acres (0.8316 km2)
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park	Virginia	3,707.70 acres (15.0045 km2)
Chaco Culture National Historical Park	New Mexico	33,960.19 acres (137.4320 km2)
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park	District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia	19,633.28 acres (79.4531 km2)
Colonial National Historical Park[13] ·       Cape Henry Memorial ·       The Colonial Parkway ·       Green Spring Plantation ·       Most of Jamestown Island ·       Swann’s Point (Across the James River from Jamestown Island) ·       Tyandall’s Point Park (Across the York River from Yorktown) ·       Yorktown Battlefield	Virginia	8,675.04 acres (35.1066 km2)
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park	Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia	24,546.83 acres (99.3375 km2)
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park	Ohio	110.53 acres (0.4473 km2)
First State National Historical Park	Delaware, Pennsylvania	1,409.22 acres (5.7029 km2)
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park	South Carolina	232.52 acres (0.9410 km2)
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park	Indiana	26.17 acres (0.1059 km2)
Golden Spike National Historical Park	Utah	2,735.28 acres (11.0693 km2)
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park	West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland	3,668.55 acres (14.8461 km2)
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park	New York	31.50 acres (0.1275 km2)
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park	Maryland	480.00 acres (1.9425 km2)
Homestead National Historical Park	Nebraska	210.45 acres (0.8517 km2)
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park	Ohio	1,775.78 acres (7.1863 km2)
Independence National Historical Park ·       Germantown White House ·       Independence Hall ·       National Constitution Center (partner site) ·       Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial	Pennsylvania	44.87 acres (0.1816 km2)
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve ·       Chalmette National Cemetery	Louisiana	25,875.86 acres (104.7159 km2)
Jimmy Carter National Historical Park	Georgia	78.35 acres (0.3171 km2)
Kalaupapa National Historical Park	Hawaii	10,778.88 acres (43.6206 km2)
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park	Hawaii	1,163.05 acres (4.7067 km2)
Keweenaw National Historical Park	Michigan	1,870.00 acres (7.5676 km2)
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (part of Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park)	Alaska, Washington	12,996.49 acres (52.5949 km2)
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park	Oregon, Washington	3,409.28 acres (13.7969 km2)
Lowell National Historical Park	Massachusetts	143.65 acres (0.5813 km2)
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park	Texas	1,571.71 acres (6.3605 km2)
Manhattan Project National Historical Park	New Mexico, Tennessee, Washington	113.61 acres (0.4598 km2)
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park	Vermont	643.07 acres (2.6024 km2)
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park	Georgia	39.17 acres (0.1585 km2)
Minute Man National Historical Park	Massachusetts	1,027.76 acres (4.1592 km2)
Morristown National Historical Park	New Jersey	1,710.72 acres (6.9230 km2)
Natchez National Historical Park	Mississippi	120.88 acres (0.4892 km2)
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park	Massachusetts	34.00 acres (0.1376 km2)
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park	Louisiana	5.13 acres (0.0208 km2)
Nez Perce National Historical Park	Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington	4,564.93 acres (18.4736 km2)
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park	Georgia	3,431.17 acres (13.8855 km2)
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park	Texas	3,426.87 acres (13.8681 km2)
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park	New Jersey	51.34 acres (0.2078 km2)
Pecos National Historical Park	New Mexico	6,885.87 acres (27.8661 km2)
Pullman National Historical Park	Illinois	203.48 acres (0.8235 km2)
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park	Hawaii	419.80 acres (1.6989 km2)
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park	South Carolina	64.99 acres (0.2630 km2)
Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park	California	145.19 acres (0.5876 km2)
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park	New Hampshire	190.75 acres (0.7719 km2)
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park	Missouri	17.47 acres (0.0707 km2)
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve	U.S. Virgin Islands	989.42 acres (4.0040 km2)
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park	Texas	990.28 acres (4.0075 km2)
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park	California	49.86 acres (0.2018 km2)
San Juan Island National Historical Park	Washington	2,145.56 acres (8.6828 km2)
Saratoga National Historical Park	New York	3,607.59 acres (14.5994 km2)
Sitka National Historical Park	Alaska	116.29 acres (0.4706 km2)
Thomas Edison National Historical Park	New Jersey	21.25 acres (0.0860 km2)
Tumacácori National Historical Park	Arizona	360.32 acres (1.4582 km2)
Valley Forge National Historical Park	Pennsylvania	3,468.54 acres (14.0367 km2)
War in the Pacific National Historical Park	Guam	2,030.30 acres (8.2163 km2)
Weir Farm National Historical Park	Connecticut	74.20 acres (0.3003 km2)
Women’s Rights National Historical Park	New York	7.44 acres (0.0301 km2)

Authorized national historical parks

Name	Status
Coltsville National Historical Park	Connecticut (pending acquisition of property)

National historic sites

[edit]

Main article: National Historic Site (United States)

Harry S Truman National Historic SiteKnife River Indian Villages National Historic SiteLower East Side Tenement National Historic SiteFort Union Trading Post National Historic SiteCastillo San Felipe del Morro at San Juan National Historic SiteSaint-Gaudens National Historical Park

There are 86 national historic sites, of which 76 are NPS units, 9 are affiliated areas, and one, Grey Towers National Historic Site, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (not listed here).

Name	Location	Area (2024)[4]
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	1,284.27 acres (5.1973 km2)
Amache National Historic Site	Colorado	472.59 acres (1.9125 km2)
Andersonville National Historic Site ·       Andersonville National Cemetery	Georgia	515.61 acres (2.0866 km2)
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site ·       Andrew Johnson National Cemetery	Tennessee	16.68 acres (0.0675 km2)
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site	Colorado	798.54 acres (3.2316 km2)
Blackwell School National Historic Site	Texas
Boston African American National Historic Site	Massachusetts	0.59 acres (0.0024 km2)
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site	North Carolina	268.49 acres (1.0865 km2)
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site	Washington, D.C.	0.15 acres (0.00061 km2)
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site	South Carolina	28.45 acres (0.1151 km2)
Chicago Portage National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Illinois	91.20 acres (0.3691 km2)
Chimney Rock National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Nebraska	83.36 acres (0.3373 km2)
Christiansted National Historic Site	U.S. Virgin Islands	27.15 acres (0.1099 km2)
Clara Barton National Historic Site	Maryland	8.59 acres (0.0348 km2)
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	0.52 acres (0.0021 km2)
Eisenhower National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	690.46 acres (2.7942 km2)
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site	New York	180.50 acres (0.7305 km2)
Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site	California	13.19 acres (0.0534 km2)
Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Ohio	185.00 acres (0.7487 km2)
First Ladies National Historic Site	Ohio	0.46 acres (0.0019 km2)
Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site	Washington, D.C.	0.30 acres (0.0012 km2)
Fort Bowie National Historic Site	Arizona	999.45 acres (4.0446 km2)
Fort Davis National Historic Site	Texas	523.00 acres (2.1165 km2)
Fort Laramie National Historic Site	Wyoming	873.11 acres (3.5334 km2)
Fort Larned National Historic Site	Kansas	718.39 acres (2.9072 km2)
Fort Point National Historic Site	California	29.00 acres (0.1174 km2)
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site	North Carolina	515.73 acres (2.0871 km2)
Fort Scott National Historic Site	Kansas	20.08 acres (0.0813 km2)
Fort Smith National Historic Site	Arkansas, Oklahoma	75.00 acres (0.3035 km2)
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site	Montana, North Dakota	440.14 acres (1.7812 km2)
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site ·       Fort Vancouver ·       McLoughlin House ·       Vancouver National Historic Reserve	Washington, Oregon	208.39 acres (0.8433 km2)
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site	Washington, D.C.	8.57 acres (0.0347 km2)
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site	Massachusetts	7.21 acres (0.0292 km2)
Friendship Hill National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	674.56 acres (2.7298 km2)
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Pennsylvania	3.71 acres (0.0150 km2)
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site	Montana	1,618.43 acres (6.5496 km2)
Hampton National Historic Site	Maryland	62.04 acres (0.2511 km2)
Harry S Truman National Historic Site	Missouri	13.67 acres (0.0553 km2)
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site	Iowa	186.80 acres (0.7560 km2)
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site	New York	838.43 acres (3.3930 km2)
Honouliuli National Historic Site	Hawaii	154.46 acres (0.6251 km2)
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	848.06 acres (3.4320 km2)
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site	Arizona	160.09 acres (0.6479 km2)
James A. Garfield National Historic Site	Ohio	7.82 acres (0.0316 km2)
Jamestown National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Virginia	21.99 acres (0.0890 km2)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site	Massachusetts	0.09 acres (0.00036 km2)
John Muir National Historic Site	California	388.50 acres (1.5722 km2)
Kate Mullany National Historic Site (affiliated area)	New York	0.06 acres (0.00024 km2)
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site	North Dakota	1,751.00 acres (7.0860 km2)
Lincoln Home National Historic Site	Illinois	12.24 acres (0.0495 km2)
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site	Arkansas	28.22 acres (0.1142 km2)
Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site	Massachusetts	1.98 acres (0.0080 km2)
Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site (affiliated area)	New York	1.20 acres (0.0049 km2)
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site	Virginia	1.29 acres (0.0052 km2)
Manzanar National Historic Site	California	813.81 acres (3.2934 km2)
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site	New York	284.93 acres (1.1531 km2)
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site	Washington, D.C.	0.07 acres (0.00028 km2)
Minidoka National Historic Site	Idaho	396.30 acres (1.6038 km2)
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site	South Dakota	43.80 acres (0.1773 km2)
New Philadelphia National Historic Site	Illinois	123.19 acres (0.4985 km2)
Nicodemus National Historic Site	Kansas	5.61 acres (0.0227 km2)
Ninety Six National Historic Site	South Carolina	1,021.94 acres (4.1356 km2)
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site	Washington, D.C.	17.61 acres (0.0713 km2)
President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site	Arkansas	0.68 acres (0.0028 km2)
Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site	Hawaii	86.24 acres (0.3490 km2)
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site	New York	83.02 acres (0.3360 km2)
Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site	New York	6.13 acres (0.0248 km2)
Salem Maritime National Historic Site	Massachusetts	9.02 acres (0.0365 km2)
San Juan National Historic Site	Puerto Rico	75.13 acres (0.3040 km2)
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site	Colorado	12,583.34 acres (50.9230 km2)
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site	Massachusetts	8.51 acres (0.0344 km2)
Springfield Armory National Historic Site	Massachusetts	54.93 acres (0.2223 km2)
Steamtown National Historic Site	Pennsylvania	62.48 acres (0.2528 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site	New York	0.11 acres (0.00045 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site	New York	1.18 acres (0.0048 km2)
Thomas Cole National Historic Site (affiliated area)	New York	3.40 acres (0.0138 km2)
Thomas Stone National Historic Site	Maryland	328.25 acres (1.3284 km2)
Touro Synagogue National Historic Site (affiliated area)	Rhode Island	0.23 acres (0.00093 km2)
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site	Alabama	89.68 acres (0.3629 km2)
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site	Alabama	57.92 acres (0.2344 km2)
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site	Missouri	9.60 acres (0.0388 km2)
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site	New York	211.65 acres (0.8565 km2)
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site	Oklahoma	315.20 acres (1.2756 km2)
Whitman Mission National Historic Site	Washington	138.53 acres (0.5606 km2)
William Howard Taft National Historic Site	Ohio	3.64 acres (0.0147 km2)

National battlefield parks

[edit]

Main article: National Military Park

Malvern Hill, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia

Name[2]	Location	Area (2024)[4][15]
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park	Georgia	2,913.63 acres (11.7910 km2)
Manassas National Battlefield Park	Virginia	5,073.44 acres (20.5315 km2)
Richmond National Battlefield Park	Virginia	8,143.26 acres (32.9546 km2)
River Raisin National Battlefield Park	Michigan	42.18 acres (0.1707 km2)

National military parks

[edit]

See also: National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park

Name[2]	Location	Area (2024)[4][15]
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park	Georgia, Tennessee	9,523.48 acres (38.5402 km2)
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park ·       Fredericksburg National Cemetery	Virginia	8,405.46 acres (34.0157 km2)
Gettysburg National Military Park ·       Gettysburg National Cemetery	Pennsylvania	6,037.06 acres (24.4311 km2)
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park	North Carolina	254.90 acres (1.0315 km2)
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park	Alabama	2,040.00 acres (8.2556 km2)
Kings Mountain National Military Park	South Carolina	3,945.29 acres (15.9660 km2)
Pea Ridge National Military Park	Arkansas	4,440.82 acres (17.9714 km2)
Shiloh National Military Park ·       Shiloh National Cemetery	Tennessee, Mississippi	9,318.63 acres (37.7112 km2)
Vicksburg National Military Park ·       Vicksburg National Cemetery	Mississippi, Louisiana	3,049.15 acres (12.3395 km2)

Moore’s Creek National Military Park	June 2, 1926	September 8, 1980	Redesignated as Moores Creek National Battlefield
Monocacy National Military Park	June 21, 1934	October 21, 1976	Redesignated Monocacy National Battlefield; previously Monocacy National Battlefield Site (1929 to 1934)

 

Name[2]	Location	Area (2024)[4][15]
Antietam National Battlefield ·       Antietam National Cemetery	Maryland	3,287.63 acres (13.3046 km2)
Big Hole National Battlefield	Montana	975.61 acres (3.9482 km2)
Cowpens National Battlefield	South Carolina	841.56 acres (3.4057 km2)
Fort Donelson National Battlefield ·       Fort Donelson National Cemetery	Tennessee, Kentucky	1,319.25 acres (5.3388 km2)
Fort Necessity National Battlefield	Pennsylvania	902.80 acres (3.6535 km2)
Monocacy National Battlefield	Maryland	1,646.88 acres (6.6647 km2)
Moores Creek National Battlefield	North Carolina	87.75 acres (0.3551 km2)
Petersburg National Battlefield ·       Poplar Grove National Cemetery	Virginia	9,598.68 acres (38.8445 km2)
Stones River National Battlefield ·       Stones River National Cemetery	Tennessee	709.49 acres (2.8712 km2)
Tupelo National Battlefield	Mississippi	1.00 acre (0.0040 km2)

National memorials

[edit]

Main article: List of national memorials of the United States

Lincoln MemorialBenjamin Franklin National MemorialPerry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial

There are 31 national memorials that are NPS units and five affiliated national memorials.^[2]

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
American Memorial Park (affiliated area)	Northern Mariana Islands	133.00 acres (0.5382 km2)
Arkansas Post National Memorial	Arkansas	757.51 acres (3.0655 km2)
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial	Virginia	17.12 acres (0.0693 km2)
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial (affiliated area)	Pennsylvania	0.00 acres (0 km2)
Chamizal National Memorial	Texas	54.54 acres (0.2207 km2)
Coronado National Memorial	Arizona	4,830.22 acres (19.5472 km2)
De Soto National Memorial	Florida	30.00 acres (0.1214 km2)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial	Washington, D.C.	3.39 acres (0.0137 km2)
Father Marquette National Memorial (affiliated area)	Michigan	52.00 acres (0.2104 km2)
Federal Hall National Memorial	New York	0.45 acres (0.0018 km2)
Flight 93 National Memorial	Pennsylvania	2,262.65 acres (9.1566 km2)
Fort Caroline National Memorial	Florida	138.39 acres (0.5600 km2)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial	Washington, D.C.	8.14 acres (0.0329 km2)
General Grant National Memorial	New York	0.76 acres (0.0031 km2)
Hamilton Grange National Memorial	New York	1.75 acres (0.0071 km2)
Jefferson Memorial	Washington, D.C.	18.36 acres (0.0743 km2)
Johnstown Flood National Memorial	Pennsylvania	177.76 acres (0.7194 km2)
Korean War Veterans Memorial	Washington, D.C.	1.56 acres (0.0063 km2)
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial	Indiana	199.96 acres (0.8092 km2)
Lincoln Memorial	Washington, D.C.	7.29 acres (0.0295 km2)
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac	Washington, D.C.	17.00 acres (0.0688 km2)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial	Washington, D.C.	2.74 acres (0.0111 km2)
Mount Rushmore National Memorial	South Dakota	1,278.45 acres (5.1737 km2)
Oklahoma City National Memorial (affiliated area)	Oklahoma	6.24 acres (0.0253 km2)
Pearl Harbor National Memorial	Hawaii	21.64 acres (0.0876 km2)
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial	Ohio	25.38 acres (0.1027 km2)
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial	California	5.00 acres (0.0202 km2)
Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial (affiliated area)	Virginia	1,000.00 acres (4.0469 km2)
Roger Williams National Memorial	Rhode Island	4.56 acres (0.0185 km2)
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial	Pennsylvania	0.02 acres (8.1×10−5 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial	Washington, D.C.	88.50 acres (0.3581 km2)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial	Washington, D.C.	2.18 acres (0.0088 km2)
Washington Monument	Washington, D.C.	106.01 acres (0.4290 km2)
World War I Memorial	Washington, D.C.	1.39 acres (0.0056 km2)
World War II Memorial	Washington, D.C.	8.25 acres (0.0334 km2)
Wright Brothers National Memorial	North Carolina	428.44 acres (1.7338 km2)

Name	Law
	Authorized by Public Law 107-62
	Authorized by National Defense Authorization Act 2015[16]

National recreation areas

[edit]

Main article: National recreation area

Lake Mead National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

There are 18 national recreation areas administered by the National Park Service.^[2] Another 22 national recreation areas are administered by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Name		Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Amistad National Recreation Area		Texas	62,945.15 acres (254.7300 km2)
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area		Montana, Wyoming	120,296.22 acres (486.8215 km2)
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area		Massachusetts	2,230.71 acres (9.0274 km2)
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area		Georgia	12,416.75 acres (50.2488 km2)
Chickasaw National Recreation Area		Oklahoma	9,898.63 acres (40.0583 km2)
Curecanti National Recreation Area		Colorado	43,590.56 acres (176.4047 km2)
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area ·       Middle Delaware National Scenic River		New Jersey, Pennsylvania	68,708.88 acres (278.0550 km2)
Gateway National Recreation Area		New York, New Jersey	26,610.45 acres (107.6887 km2)
Gauley River National Recreation Area		West Virginia	11,483.44 acres (46.4718 km2)
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area		Utah, Arizona	1,254,116.62 acres (5,075.2299 km2)
Golden Gate National Recreation Area ·       Alcatraz Island ·       Presidio of San Francisco		California	82,136.12 acres (332.3931 km2)
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area		Washington	61,939.15 acres (250.6588 km2)
Lake Mead National Recreation Area ·       Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument		Nevada, Arizona	1,495,855.53 acres (6,053.5126 km2)
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area		Texas	44,977.63 acres (182.0180 km2)
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area		Washington	100,390.31 acres (406.2652 km2)
Ross Lake National Recreation Area		Washington	117,574.59 acres (475.8075 km2)
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area		California	153,121.09 acres (619.6591 km2)
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area		California	42,503.25 acres (172.0046 km2)
Shasta Lake Recreation Area	May 22, 1945	July 1, 1948	Transferred to U.S. Forest Service

National seashores

[edit]

Main article: List of United States national lakeshores and seashores

Wild horses on Assateague Island National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore

There are 10 national seashores.^[2]

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Assateague Island National Seashore	Maryland, Virginia	41,311.27 acres (167.1808 km2)
Canaveral National Seashore	Florida	57,661.69 acres (233.3486 km2)
Cape Cod National Seashore	Massachusetts	43,615.34 acres (176.5050 km2)
Cape Hatteras National Seashore	North Carolina	30,350.65 acres (122.8247 km2)
Cape Lookout National Seashore	North Carolina	28,243.36 acres (114.2968 km2)
Cumberland Island National Seashore	Georgia	36,346.83 acres (147.0904 km2)
Fire Island National Seashore	New York	19,580.65 acres (79.2401 km2)
Gulf Islands National Seashore	Florida, Mississippi	138,306.64 acres (559.7071 km2)
Padre Island National Seashore	Texas	130,434.27 acres (527.8488 km2)
Point Reyes National Seashore	California	71,053.38 acres (287.5428 km2)

National lakeshores

[edit]

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Main article: List of United States national lakeshores and seashores

There are three national lakeshores, located in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore	Wisconsin	69,377.43 acres (280.7605 km2)
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore	Michigan	73,235.97 acres (296.3755 km2)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore	Michigan	71,318.57 acres (288.6160 km2)

Former national lakeshores

[edit]

Name	Established	Disbanded	Result
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore	November 5, 1966	February 15, 2019	Redesignated Indiana Dunes National Park

National rivers and national wild and scenic rivers

[edit]

The Buffalo National River, the first National River established in the United StatesSaint Croix National Scenic Riverway

There are four national rivers (marked with an asterisk) and ten national wild and scenic rivers administered as distinct units of the National Park System.^[2] There are many more national wild and scenic rivers that run through other units.

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Alagnak Wild River	Alaska	30,664.79 acres (124.0960 km2)
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area*	Kentucky, Tennessee	123,702.05 acres (500.6044 km2)
Bluestone National Scenic River	West Virginia	4,309.51 acres (17.4400 km2)
Buffalo National River*	Arkansas	94,300.82 acres (381.6219 km2)
Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River	New Jersey	43,311.42 acres (175.2751 km2)
Middle Delaware National Scenic River	New Jersey, Pennsylvania	1,973.33 acres (7.9858 km2)
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area*	Minnesota	53,775.00 acres (217.6197 km2)
Missouri National Recreational River	Nebraska, South Dakota	48,456.55 acres (196.0967 km2)
Niobrara National Scenic River	Nebraska	29,088.57 acres (117.7173 km2)
Obed Wild and Scenic River	Tennessee	5,489.85 acres (22.2166 km2)
Ozark National Scenic Riverways*	Missouri	80,784.30 acres (326.9225 km2)
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River	Texas	13,123.39 acres (53.1085 km2)
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway	Wisconsin, Minnesota	68,738.95 acres (278.1767 km2)
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River	New York, Pennsylvania	74,999.56 acres (303.5125 km2)

Former national rivers

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Name	Established	Disbanded	Result
New River Gorge National River	November 10, 1978	December 27, 2020	Redesignated New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

National reserves

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City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho

National reserves are partnerships between federal, state, and local authorities. Within the boundaries of the three national reserves are combinations of federal land (Park Service or National Wildlife Refuges), state parks and forests, local public lands, and private properties. Two national reserves are currently managed as official units.

Name[2]	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
City of Rocks National Reserve	Idaho	14,512.27 acres (58.7291 km2)
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve	Washington	19,333.51 acres (78.2399 km2)
Pinelands National Reserve (affiliated area)	New Jersey	1,164,025 acres (4,710.64 km2)

National parkways

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Main article: National Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina

Ten roadways and surrounding scenic areas are managed by the NPS as parkways, four of which as official units and five as part of other units.

Name[2]	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Baltimore-Washington Parkway (part of National Capital Parks East)	Maryland, Washington, D.C.
Blue Ridge Parkway	Virginia, North Carolina	101,128.20 acres (409.2513 km2)
Colonial Parkway (part of Colonial National Historical Park)	Virginia
Foothills Parkway (part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park)	Tennessee
George Washington Memorial Parkway (In 1989, the Maryland and DC portions of the parkway were renamed Clara Barton Parkway to overcome motorist confusion). ·       Claude Moore Colonial Farm ·       Glen Echo Park ·       Great Falls Park ·       Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial	Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C.	6,719.21 acres (27.1917 km2)
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway	Wyoming	23,777.22 acres (96.2230 km2)
Natchez Trace Parkway	Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee	52,380.46 acres (211.9762 km2)
Oxon Run Parkway (part of National Capital Parks East)	Washington, D.C.
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway (part of Rock Creek Park)	Washington, D.C.
Suitland Parkway (part of National Capital Parks East)	Maryland

National historic and scenic trails

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Main article: National Trails System

These National Park Service trails are part of the larger National Trails System. Only six of the trails are considered official units of the park system.^[2]

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail	Hawaii
Appalachian Trail (official unit)	Maine – Georgia	243,733.06 acres (986.3527 km2)
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail	Tennessee and Missouri – California
California National Historic Trail	Missouri – California
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail	Delaware – District of Columbia – Maryland – Virginia
Chilkoot National Historic Trail	Alaska – British Columbia
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail	Louisiana – Texas
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail	New Mexico
Ice Age National Scenic Trail (official unit)	Wisconsin	235.16 acres (0.9517 km2)
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail	Arizona – California
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail	Illinois – Oregon
Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail	Illinois – Utah
Natchez Trace Trail (official unit)	Mississippi – Tennessee	10,995.00 acres (44.4952 km2)
New England National Scenic Trail (official unit)	Connecticut – Massachusetts	196.04 acres (0.7933 km2)
North Country National Scenic Trail (official unit)	New York – North Dakota	281.94 acres (1.1410 km2)
Old Spanish National Historic Trail	New Mexico – California
Oregon National Historic Trail	Missouri – Oregon
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail	Virginia – Tennessee – North Carolina – South Carolina
Pony Express National Historic Trail	Missouri – California
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (official unit)	Virginia – Maryland – Pennsylvania – Washington, D.C.	0.00 acres (0 km2)
Santa Fe National Historic Trail	Missouri – New Mexico
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail	Alabama
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail	District of Columbia – Maryland – Virginia
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail	Tennessee – Oklahoma
Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail	Massachusetts – Virginia

National cemeteries

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Gettysburg National Cemetery

Most national cemeteries are administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, although a few are managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army. None of the cemeteries are considered official units of the system; they are all affiliated with other parks.

Name	Location
Andersonville National Cemetery	Georgia
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery	Tennessee
Antietam National Cemetery	Maryland
Battleground National Cemetery	Washington, D.C.
Chalmette National Cemetery	Louisiana
Custer National Cemetery	Montana
Fort Donelson National Cemetery	Tennessee
Fredericksburg National Cemetery	Virginia
Gettysburg National Cemetery	Pennsylvania
Poplar Grove National Cemetery	Virginia
Shiloh National Cemetery	Tennessee
Stones River National Cemetery	Tennessee
Vicksburg National Cemetery	Mississippi

 

Other NPS protected areas and administrative groups

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National MallRoosevelt Campobello International Park (affiliated area)Acadian Landing Site at Maine Acadian Culture (affiliated area)

There are 11 NPS units of other designations, as well as other affiliated areas. The National Mall and National Capital Parks have many sites, some of which are also units of other designations.

Name	Location	Area (2024)[3][4]
Aleutian World War II National Historic Area (affiliated area)	Alaska	134.94 acres (0.5461 km2)
Catoctin Mountain Park	Maryland	5,890.92 acres (23.8397 km2)
Claymont High School (affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park)	Delaware
Constitution Gardens	District of Columbia	39.23 acres (0.1588 km2)
Eutaw Springs Battlefield (affiliated area)	South Carolina
Fort Washington Park	Maryland	345.05 acres (1.3964 km2)
Greenbelt Park	Maryland	1,175.98 acres (4.7590 km2)
Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site (affiliated area)[17]	South Carolina	107.00 acres (0.4330 km2)
Hockessin Colored School #107 (affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park)	Delaware
Howard High School (affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park)	Delaware
Ice Age National Scientific Reserve (affiliated area)	Wisconsin	32,500.00 acres (131.5228 km2)
International Peace Garden (affiliated area)	North Dakota/Manitoba	2,330.30 acres (9.4304 km2)
Inupiat Heritage Center (affiliated area)	Alaska	0.00 acres (0 km2)
John Philip Sousa Junior High School (affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park)	District of Columbia
Kettle Creek Battlefield (affiliated area)	Georgia
Maine Acadian Culture (affiliated area)[18]	Maine
National Capital Parks-East ·       Anacostia Park ·       Baltimore-Washington Parkway ·       Capitol Hill Parks ·       Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site (also an official unit) ·       Fort Dupont Park ·       Fort Foote Park ·       Fort Washington Park (also an official unit) ·       Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (also an official unit) ·       Greenbelt Park (also an official unit) ·       Harmony Hall (Fort Washington, Maryland) ·       Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens ·       Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site (also an official unit) ·       Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm ·       Oxon Run Parkway ·       Piscataway Park (also an official unit) ·       Suitland Parkway	District of Columbia/Maryland	8,703.80 acres (35.2230 km2)(excludes those counted in other units)
National Mall and Memorial Parks (formerly National Capital Parks-Central) ·       African American Civil War Memorial ·       American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial ·       Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument (also an official unit) ·       Constitution Gardens (also an official unit) ·       District of Columbia War Memorial ·       East Potomac Park ·       Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site (also an official unit) ·       Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (also an official unit) ·       George Mason Memorial ·       Jefferson Memorial (also an official unit) ·       John Ericsson National Memorial ·       Korean War Veterans Memorial (also an official unit) ·       Lincoln Memorial (also an official unit) ·       National Mall ·       Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site (also an official unit) ·       Old Post Office Pavilion ·       Ukraine Independence Park (Taras Shevchenko Memorial) ·       United States Navy Memorial (part of Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site) ·       Vietnam Veterans Memorial (also an official unit) ·       Washington Monument (also an official unit) ·       West Potomac Park ·       World War I Memorial (also an official unit) ·       World War II Memorial (also an official unit)	District of Columbia	155.84 acres (0.6307 km2)(National Mall only)
Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield (affiliated area)	Tennessee
Piscataway Park	Maryland	4,620.06 acres (18.6967 km2)
Prince William Forest Park	Virginia	16,060.25 acres (64.9935 km2)
Robert Russa Moton School (affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park)	Virginia
Rock Creek Park ·       Dumbarton Oaks Park ·       Battleground National Cemetery ·       Meridian Hill Park ·       Old Stone House ·       Peirce Mill (part of Rock Creek Park) ·       Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway	District of Columbia	1,754.70 acres (7.1010 km2)
Roosevelt Campobello International Park (affiliated area)	New Brunswick	2,721.50 acres (11.0135 km2)
White House/President’s Park	District of Columbia	18.07 acres (0.0731 km2)
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (affiliated area)[19]	Washington	0.00 acres (0 km2)
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts	Virginia	130.28 acres (0.5272 km2)

In addition, there are sites where the NPS is authorized to provide financial and technical assistance to local authorities for interpretive or educational purposes, but do not have the right to acquire land or have a say in land use or zoning. These include the 55 National Heritage Areas, as well as National Commemorative Sites such as Quindaro Townsite or the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site. There are also various administrative groups of listed parks, such as Manhattan Sites, National Parks of New York Harbor, and Western Arctic National Parklands. The NPS also owns conservation easements (but not the land itself) for part of the area called the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the NPS developed dozens of recreational demonstration areas, most of which eventually became national or state parks.

 

A bill creating the first national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, followed by Mackinac National Park in 1875 (decommissioned in 1895), and then Rock Creek Park (later merged into National Capital Parks), Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890. The Organic Act of 1916 created the National Park Service “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”[5] Many current national parks had been previously protected as national monuments by the president under the Antiquities Act or as other designations created by Congress before being redesignated by Congress; the newest national park is New River Gorge, previously a National River, and the most recent entirely new park is National Park of American Samoa. A few former national parks are no longer designated as such, or have been disbanded. Fourteen national parks are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS),[6] and 21 national parks are named UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BR),[7] with eight national parks in both programs.

Thirty states have national parks, as do the territories of American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The state with the most national parks is California with nine, followed by Alaska with eight, Utah with five, and Colorado with four. The largest national park is Wrangell–St. Elias in Alaska: at over 8 million acres (32,375 km2), it is larger than each of the nine smallest states. The next three largest parks are also in Alaska. The smallest park is Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri, at 192.83 acres (0.7804 km2). The total area protected by national parks is approximately 52.4 million acres (212,000 km2), for an average of 833 thousand acres (3,370 km2) but a median of only 220 thousand acres (890 km2).[8]

The national parks set a visitation record in 2021, with more than 92 million visitors.[9] Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee has been the most-visited park since 1944,[10] and had almost 13 million visitors in 2022.[11] In contrast, only about 9,500 people visited the remote Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska in 2022.[11]

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