National parks

When exploring the outdoors, I encourage you to follow Leave No Trace Principles and be respectful of where you are so we can preserve these spaces for future generations. ♥️

Daniel and I have always been more international travelers, even though I grew up only minutes away from Glacier National Park. It was almost by accident that we decided to visit America’s national parks–as we got more and more into hiking and the outdoors, we started to realize all that our home country had to offer. From towering peaks to the loneliness of the desert, we decided to explore it all.

However, the United States is a big country, and we have found our work cut out for us! Since deciding we wanted to visit all of the US national parks, we’ve had to take multiple road trips and fly to Alaska and Hawaii. After seeing 30 out of 63 parks so far, we have our work cut out for us!

Fortunately, because we have the opportunity to explore the American West every year, we’ve been able to knock more and more off our list. We’ve also become experts on getting permits and reservations since we have visited quite a few!

This page covers the entire list of all 63 national parks by state, as well as links to some of my guides on the parks I’ve visited. Check back often since I’ll be updating them as I continue to explore new ones!

Quick tip: Download your own checklist and map below so you can keep track of the parks you’ve visited and the ones you want to see in the future!

Map of the National Parks of the United States

us national parks
Click here to download your national parks map and checklist!

National Parks of the United States

Browse the national parks by state below.

Alaska

  • Denali 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

Full list of national parks, national monuments, and national historic sites in Alaska.

American Samoa

  • National Park of the 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
  • Pinnacles National Park
  • Redwood National Park
  • Sequoia National Park
  • Yosemite National Park

Colorado

Florida

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

Hawaii

  • Haleakala National Park
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Idaho

Indiana

  • Indiana Dunes National Park

Kentucky

  • Mammoth Cave National Park

Maine

  • Acadia National Park

Michigan

  • Isle Royale National Park

Minnesota

  • Voyageurs National Park

Missouri

  • Gateway Arch National Park

Montana

Full list of national parks, national monuments, and national historic sites in Montana.

Nevada

  • Death Valley National Park
  • Great Basin National Park

New Mexico

  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • White Sands National Park

North Dakota

  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park

North Carolina

  • Great Smoky Mountains 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

Utah

Virgin Islands

  • Virgin Islands National Park

Virginia

  • Shenandoah National Park

Washington

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

West Virginia

  • New River Gorge National Park

Wyoming

National park guides

Get the information you need for your national park trip.

arches national park timed entry

Arches National Park

LEARN MORE about arches
denali national park and preserve--national parks in alaska

Denali National Park

LEARN MORE about denali
st mary lake glacier national park

Glacier National Park

Learn more about glacier
grand teton home

Grand Teton National Park

Learn more about grand teton
hiking in rocky mountain national park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Learn more about rocky mountain
yellowstone national park

Yellowstone National Park

Learn more about yellowstone
view of zion canyon from the top of angels landing

Zion National Park

Learn More about zion

National Park FAQs

Here are some questions I often get from readers wanting to know more about our national parks.

There are currently 63 national park units in the United States. These do not include other designations such as national monuments, national historical sites, and national battlefields.

If these are counted, then there is a total 428 units adding up to 85 million acres.

Yellowstone was the first-ever designated national park in the world on March 1, 1872. The Yellowstone National Park Protection Act was signed into law by Ulysses S. Grant, and it paved the way for the establishments of future national parks.

The largest national park in the United States is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. This park is massive at 13.2 million acres–and one of my favorites too! It’s larger than the four smallest states combined.

Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis is the smallest national park at 192 acres.

Quick tip: Bring your picnic lunch to the arch! It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

The newest national park is New River Gorge National Park located in West Virginia. It was designated as a national park December 27, 2020.

The number of national parks requiring reservations changes every year. Some parks require them for entry, while others require them for certain hikes or attractions.

I keep an updated list of national parks requiring reservations that you might want to check out every few months. You can also download a complete guide so you can take it with you on your trips!

Download national park reservation guide here

Many national parks require an entry fee. How much depends on the park.

However, there are a few days a year where you can visit national parks for free. The exact dates change depending on the calendar, but they typically fall on certain holidays.

Here are the days you can visit the national parks for free in 2024:

  • January 15: Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday
  • April 20: First day of National Park Week
  • June 19: Juneteenth
  • August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 28: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11: Veterans Day

California has the most national parks with 9. These include: Channel 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, and Yosemite National Park.

Alaska is close behind with 8 national parks. These are: Denali 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, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Parks are typically open 24/7, 365 days a year. However, there certain days where facilities such as visitor centers, ranger stations, and headquarters are closed.

These usually include:

  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • New Year’s Eve
  • Easter Sunday
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving

I recommend you head to the NPS website before you plan your trip just to make sure that all facilities are roads are open the days you plan on visiting.

Whether or not you choose to purchase an annual national parks pass depends on how often you plan on visiting the parks. At $80 per year, if you plan on going to more than three parks within that time span, it’s well worth it and saves you money.

On the other hand, if you are only expecting to visit one park several times, it might be better to purchase a yearly pass for your chosen park.

For park lovers like me, it’s a no-brainer! If you are only planning on one or two for the year, it might be worth it to pay the 7-day entrance fee that most parks have.

Articles on the national parks