PARKS OF AMERICA

Explore America’s Natural Heritage

63 Parks Found

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors
SAMOA
A brilliant sunset filled with hues of blue, red, orange, magenta, and purple highlight the sky.Maine3 days

Acadia

Rocky coastline, forests, and mountains on Mount Desert Island.

HikingCyclingScenic drives
LodgeCamping
Tuafanua TrailAmerican Samoa3 days

American Samoa

Only US national park south of the equator.

SnorkelingScuba divingHiking
Lodge
A crowd of people sit and watch the sunset at delicate arch.Utah2 days

Arches

Over 2,000 natural stone arches, including the famous Delicate Arch, in the red rock canyon country of southeastern Utah.

HikingPhotographyRock climbing
Camping
Layered badlands formations behind fields of green grass under cloudy and billowing clouds.South Dakota2 days

Badlands

Sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires rising from the mixed-grass prairie.

Scenic drivesHikingWildlife viewing
LodgeCamping
Blooming CenizoTexas4 days

Big Bend

Where the Rio Grande forms a natural border with Mexico.

HikingRiver raftingStargazing
LodgeCamping
Coral reef with two snorkelers diving below the surfaceFlorida2 days

Biscayne

95% water-based park protecting Biscayne Bay's coral reefs, mangroves, and barrier islands just south of Miami.

SnorkelingScuba divingBoating
Camping
Black Canyon near Tomichi PointColorado2 days

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

One of the most dramatic gorges in North America, with nearly vertical walls dropping 2,700 feet to the Gunnison River below.

HikingRock climbingFishing
Camping
A red rock landscape and plateau forest glows with the morning sunUtah2 days

Bryce Canyon

Famous for its otherworldly hoodoos — tall spires of rock shaped by erosion — glowing orange and red against blue skies at 8,000+ feet elevation.

HikingStargazingScenic drives
LodgeCamping
a broad stone arch with rock pinnacles in the distanceUtah3 days

Canyonlands

Vast wilderness carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers into mesas, buttes, and canyons.

Hiking4WD off-roadingMountain biking
Camping
Wingate Sandstone cliffs behind historic barn and farmhouseUtah2 days

Capitol Reef

A 100-mile wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterpocket Fold, featuring colorful cliffs, canyons, domes, and the historic Fruita pioneer settlement with working orchards.

HikingScenic drivesFruit picking (orchards)
Camping
Photo of Giant Dome and Twin Domes in the Big Room.New Mexico1 day

Carlsbad Caverns

Over 119 caves beneath the Chihuahuan Desert, including the largest accessible cave in North America.

Cave toursBat flight programsHiking
Steep, rugged ocean cliffs extending in an island chain.California3 days

Channel Islands

Five islands off the southern California coast, known as 'North America's Galapagos.

KayakingSnorkelingScuba diving
Camping
View of the Congaree River during the FallSouth Carolina1 day

Congaree

The largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern United States, with towering trees and bald cypress draped in Spanish moss.

HikingKayakingCanoeing
Camping
A view of Crater Lake and Wizard IslandOregon2 days

Crater Lake

The deepest lake in the US, formed 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed.

Scenic drivesHikingBoat tours
LodgeCamping
People in bright orange kayaks paddle around a bend in a river, past green trees and a rocky shore.Ohio1 day

Cuyahoga Valley

A hidden gem along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, featuring waterfalls, rolling hills, farms, and the historic Ohio & Erie Canal.

HikingCyclingScenic railroad
LodgeCamping
Snowcapped mountains surrounded by bright blue skies and frames by gold wildflowers on a valley flooCalifornia / Nevada3 days

Death Valley

The hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the US.

Scenic drivesHikingStargazing
LodgeCamping
a white colored sheep standing on a mountainside overlooking a green valleyAlaska5 days

Denali

Home to North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet.

Wildlife viewingMountaineeringHiking
LodgeCamping
A few of the stars at night with a view of Fort Jefferson.Florida2 days

Dry Tortugas

A cluster of seven islands 70 miles west of Key West, anchored by Fort Jefferson — one of the largest 19th-century American fortifications — surrounded by turquoise waters.

SnorkelingScuba divingBirdwatching
Camping
A sunset creates a silhouette of a cypress tree with needle-like leaves that is shaped like an 'N'.Florida3 days

Everglades

The largest tropical wilderness in the US — a vast, slow-moving river of grass home to alligators, manatees, Florida panthers, and over 350 bird species.

Wildlife viewingKayakingCanoeing
Camping
Aerial view of the Alatna River as it winds through a valleyAlaska7 days

Gates of the Arctic

America's northernmost national park, entirely above the Arctic Circle.

BackpackingFishingWildlife viewing
Camping
The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse with a row of pink blooming cherry trees in frontMissouri1 day

Gateway Arch

The iconic 630-foot stainless steel arch on the St.

Arch tram rideMuseumRiver cruises
Large mountains dotted with snow loom above a rocky meadow filled with yellow flowers.Montana5 days

Glacier

Over a million acres of rugged mountains, 700+ miles of trails, and about 25 remaining glaciers in the Crown of the Continent.

HikingScenic drivesWildlife viewing
LodgeCamping
Cruising Glacier BayAlaska3 days

Glacier Bay

A UNESCO World Heritage Site where tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into fjords.

KayakingWhale watchingGlacier viewing
LodgeCamping
The canyon glows orange as people visit Mather Point, a rock outcropping that juts into Grand CanyonArizona3 days

Grand Canyon

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World — a mile-deep chasm 277 miles long carved by the Colorado River over 5-6 million years.

Scenic viewingRim hikingInner canyon hiking
LodgeCamping
Backpackers in North Fork Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton behindWyoming3 days

Grand Teton

The jagged 13,770-foot Grand Teton peak rises dramatically above Jackson Hole valley.

HikingMountaineeringWildlife viewing
LodgeCamping
blue sky with green trees in mountain cirqueNevada2 days

Great Basin

One of the least visited parks, featuring Lehman Caves, 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, ancient bristlecone pine trees, and some of the darkest skies in the lower 48.

Cave toursHikingStargazing
Camping
Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunsetColorado2 days

Great Sand Dunes

The tallest sand dunes in North America (up to 750 feet) backed by the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains — a surreal landscape in southern Colorado.

Sand sleddingSand boardingHiking
Camping
A thick layer of frost covers the fields, trees, and mountains in Cades Cove.Tennessee / North Carolina3 days

Great Smoky Mountains

The most visited national park with over 12 million visitors annually.

HikingWildlife viewingScenic drives
LodgeCamping
El Capitan with blooming claret cup cactiTexas2 days

Guadalupe Mountains

The highest peak in Texas (Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 ft) and one of the world's best examples of an ancient marine fossil reef, the Permian Reef.

HikingBackpackingWildlife viewing
Camping
'Ahinahina blooms in Haleakala craterHawaii2 days

Haleakala

A massive shield volcano on Maui rising to 10,023 feet.

Sunrise viewingHikingCycling (downhill)
Camping
Rocky coastline with palm trees and a cliff beyonHawaii2 days

Hawaii Volcanoes

Home to Kilauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world's most active volcanoes.

Lava viewingCrater viewingHiking
LodgeCamping
A pink sky above gentle white buildingsArkansas1 day

Hot Springs

The oldest area managed by the NPS, centered on Bathhouse Row — eight historic bathhouses fed by 47 hot springs in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Historic bathhousesHikingThermal spring viewing
LodgeCamping
Michigan Lake beach with green grassy dunes in the background, under a blue sky.Indiana1 day

Indiana Dunes

15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with towering sand dunes, wetlands, rivers, and prairies.

BeachgoingHikingBirdwatching
Camping
View from above the trees looking down at Duncan Bay Narrows, trees, Lake Superior, and Canada.Michigan5 days

Isle Royale

A remote island archipelago in Lake Superior accessible only by boat or seaplane.

BackpackingKayakingScuba diving (shipwrecks)
LodgeCamping
The sky turns hues of pink and purple over a field of Joshua trees.California2 days

Joshua Tree

Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, marked by twisted Joshua trees, massive boulders, and jaw-dropping night skies.

Rock climbingHikingStargazing
Camping
salmon jumping at waterfallAlaska4 days

Katmai

World-famous for bears catching sockeye salmon at Brooks Falls — one of nature's greatest wildlife spectacles.

Brown bear viewingFishingHiking
LodgeCamping
aerial image of Bear GlacierAlaska3 days

Kenai Fjords

A stunning convergence of mountains, glaciers, and the sea on the Kenai Peninsula.

Glacier viewingBoat toursWildlife viewing
Camping
A deep canyon with a forested floor and steep granite cliffsCalifornia3 days

Kings Canyon

One of the deepest canyons in North America (deeper than the Grand Canyon in places), flanked by the Sierra Nevada.

HikingBackpackingRock climbing
LodgeCamping
sun setting on sand dunesAlaska4 days

Kobuk Valley

Home to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes — 25 square miles of active arctic dunes reaching 100 feet tall.

BackpackingRiver floatingWildlife viewing
Camping
Photo of blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflect in calm lake with mountains in the background.Alaska4 days

Lake Clark

A strikingly diverse landscape that transitions from the rainy Cook Inlet coast to the glaciated peaks of the Alaska Range to boreal forest.

Wildlife viewingFishingHiking
LodgeCamping
A frozen lake below snow-covered trees and peakCalifornia2 days

Lassen Volcanic

An active volcanic peak in northern California surrounded by hydrothermal wonders — boiling mud pots, steam vents, and hot springs.

HikingHydrothermal area viewingSnowshoeing
Camping
A cascade of water pours over a rock ledge. Green foliage is in the background.Kentucky2 days

Mammoth Cave

The world's longest known cave system with over 400 mapped miles of passages.

Cave toursHikingHorseback riding
LodgeCamping
Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcoveColorado2 days

Mesa Verde

Preserves over 5,000 archaeological sites of the Ancestral Puebloan people, including 600 cliff dwellings.

Cliff dwelling toursHikingArchaeology
LodgeCamping
A purple and pink streaked sky over a mountain peak and forested valley.Washington3 days

Mount Rainier

A massive active stratovolcano at 14,411 feet dominating the Washington skyline, with the most glaciated peak in the contiguous US and stunning wildflower meadows.

HikingMountaineeringWildflower viewing
LodgeCamping
sun rising over the New River GorgeWest Virginia2 days

New River Gorge

One of the newest national parks (designated 2020), featuring the dramatic New River Gorge and one of the longest steel span bridges in the western hemisphere.

Rock climbingWhitewater raftingHiking
Camping
boats on the water with mountains and trees surroundingWashington3 days

North Cascades

One of the most rugged and least visited of the lower 48 parks, with more glaciers than any other US park outside Alaska.

BackpackingHikingMountaineering
Camping
A herd of elk crossing a river.Washington4 days

Olympic

Three ecosystems in one park — temperate rainforest, glacier-capped mountains, and wild Pacific coastline on the remote Olympic Peninsula.

Rainforest hikingTide pool exploringBackpacking
LodgeCamping
Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness AreaArizona1 day

Petrified Forest

A landscape of colorful badlands and one of the world's largest concentrations of petrified wood, plus ancient petroglyphs and fossilized dinosaur bones.

Scenic drivesHikingFossil viewing
Camping
Boulders in the Balconies Cave.California1 day

Pinnacles

The eroded remnants of an ancient volcano, featuring dramatic rock spires, talus caves, and one of only a few wild habitats for the critically endangered California condor.

Rock climbingHikingWildlife viewing
Camping
View from forest floor looking straight up. Ferns as seen close up and redwood trunks meet.California2 days

Redwood

Home to the world's tallest trees — coast redwoods that can reach 380 feet.

Hiking among old-growthWildlife viewingScenic drives
Camping
Rocky Mountain National Park Sign on a sunny day with clear sky overheadColorado3 days

Rocky Mountain

Straddling the Continental Divide with Trail Ridge Road reaching 12,183 feet.

HikingWildlife viewingScenic drives
Camping
Saguaro flowersArizona2 days

Saguaro

Two separate districts surrounding Tucson, protecting the iconic giant saguaro cactus — the largest in the US — and the broader Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

Scenic drivesHikingWildlife viewing
A deep canyon with a forested floor and steep granite cliffsCalifornia3 days

Sequoia

Home to General Sherman Tree — the largest living tree on Earth by volume at 52,500 cubic feet — and towering groves of ancient giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada.

Giant sequoia viewingHikingCaving
LodgeCamping
A man stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the receding mountains.Virginia2 days

Shenandoah

Skyline Drive runs the entire 105-mile length of this park along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Scenic drivesHikingWildlife viewing
LodgeCamping
A colorfully striped butte in the foreground overlooks a dark green badlands landscapeNorth Dakota2 days

Theodore Roosevelt

Badlands wilderness of North Dakota where Theodore Roosevelt ranched and developed his conservation philosophy.

Wildlife viewingScenic drivesHiking
Camping
Turquoise water laps white sandy shore fringed with lush green vegetation.U.S. Virgin Islands4 days

Virgin Islands

Two-thirds of St.

SnorkelingScuba divingHiking
LodgeCamping
Northern Lights over Voyageurs National Park watersMinnesota3 days

Voyageurs

A water-based park near the Canadian border where four large interconnected lakes were once the highway of French-Canadian voyageur fur traders.

BoatingKayakingFishing
LodgeCamping
White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.New Mexico1 day

White Sands

The world's largest gypsum dune field — 275 square miles of brilliant white sand dunes in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico.

Sled surfing on dunesHikingPhotography
Camping
a bison cow and calf on the prairieSouth Dakota1 day

Wind Cave

One of the longest and most complex caves in the world, famous for its rare 'boxwork' calcite formations.

Cave toursWildlife viewingHiking
Camping
Glaciers loom over the ocean with large snowy mountains rising into blue skiesAlaska5 days

Wrangell-St. Elias

The largest national park in the US at 13.

BackpackingMountaineeringFlightseeing
LodgeCamping
Brilliant blues and greens of a hot spring ringed by oranges, yellows, reds, and browns.Wyoming / Montana / Idaho5 days

Yellowstone

America's first national park and the world's largest geothermal area with over 10,000 hydrothermal features.

Geyser viewingWildlife watchingHiking
LodgeCamping
Two tall waterfalls flowing down snow covered granite walls.California4 days

Yosemite

Iconic valley carved by glaciers in the Sierra Nevada, with Half Dome, El Capitan, and some of the world's tallest waterfalls.

HikingRock climbingWaterfall viewing
LodgeCamping
A triangular sandstone mountain overlooks green and yellow foliage. A cloudy blue sky is overhead.Utah3 days

Zion

Utah's oldest and most visited national park.

HikingCanyoneeringNarrows wading
LodgeCamping