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List of areas in the United States National Park System facts for kids

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The National Park System of the United States is the collection of physical properties owned or administered by the National Park Service. The collection includes all national parks and most national monuments, as well as several other types of protected areas of the United States.

As of December 2023, there are 417 units of the National Park System. However, this number is somewhat misleading. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve is counted as two units, since the same name applies to a national park and an adjacent national preserve. Yet Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is counted as one unit, despite its double designation. Counting methodology is typically based on the language of a park's authorizing legislation.

Although the designations generally reflect sites' features, all units of the system are considered administratively equal and with few exceptions the designations themselves do not define their level of protection. Each site has a management plan consistent with its ecological, historic, and recreational resources and its enabling legislation.

In addition to areas of the National Park System, the National Park Service also provides technical and financial assistance to several affiliated areas authorized by Congress. Affiliated areas are marked on the lists below.

National Park System units are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The territory of the Northern Mariana Islands has an affiliated area but not an official NPS unit.

Nearly all units managed by the National Park Service participate in the National Park Passport Stamps program.

National parks

There are 63 officially designated national parks in the United States and its dependent areas, as of 2021. 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.

Name Location Year established Area (2024)
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 15,591.04 acres (63.0947 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

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 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

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
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 1,457.16 acres (5.8969 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 7,204.45 acres (29.1554 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

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.
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
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument March 25, 2013 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
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
Andrew Johnson National Monument April 27, 1942 December 11, 1963 Redesignated as Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
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

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)
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 15,291.63 acres (61.8830 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 89,805.31 acres (363.4292 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

2015 Independence Hall - Philadelphia 01
The bell tower atop Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell once was based, in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia

There are 63 national historical parks.

Name Location Area (2024)
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
  • 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 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 143.40 acres (0.5803 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

Trumanhist
Harry S Truman National Historic Site
97 Orchard Street Front
Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site

There are 85 national historic sites, of which 75 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)
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Pennsylvania 1,284.27 acres (5.1973 km2)
Amache National Historic Site Colorado 410.25 acres (1.6602 km2)
Andersonville National Historic Site 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)
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 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)

Former national historic sites

Name Established Disbanded Result
Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site May 26, 1939 August 11, 1955 Redesignated Federal Hall National Memorial
Atlanta Campaign National Historic Site October 13, 1944 September 21, 1950 Transferred to state of Georgia; park never developed beyond a set of six roadside interpretive markers along the Dixie Highway
Mar-a-Lago National Historic Site October 21, 1972 December 23, 1980 Returned to a nonprofit foundation operated by the Post family, the original owners of the site
McLoughlin House National Historic Site (affiliated unit) June 27, 1941 July 29, 2003 Merged into Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
St. Thomas National Historic Site December 24, 1960 February 5, 1975 Transferred to U.S. Virgin Islands; currently operated as a Virgin Islands territorial park
Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site April 12, 2016 Redesignated Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument and changed from affiliated unit to an NPS unit
Edison Home National Historic Site December 6, 1955 September 5, 1962 Combined with Edison Laboratory National Monument into Edison National Historic Site, later redesignated Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Edison National Historic Site September 5, 1962 March 30, 2009 Redesignated Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Authorized national historic sites

Name Location Status
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site Illinois Pending acquisition of property
Blackwell School National Historic Site Texas Pending acquisition of property

International historic site

Name Location Area (2024)
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Maine / New Brunswick 6.50 acres (0.0263 km2)

National battlefield parks

Malvern Hill, Civil War Battlefield, RIchmond National Battlefield - Stierch
Malvern Hill, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia
Name Location Area (2024)
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

Name Location Area (2024)
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Georgia, Tennessee 9,523.48 acres (38.5402 km2)
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park Virginia 8,405.46 acres (34.0157 km2)
Gettysburg National Military Park 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 Tennessee, Mississippi 9,322.28 acres (37.7259 km2)
Vicksburg National Military Park
  • Vicksburg National Cemetery
Mississippi, Louisiana 3,049.15 acres (12.3395 km2)

Former national military parks

Name Established Disbanded Result
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)

National battlefields

Name Location Area (2024)
Antietam National Battlefield 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 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 Tennessee 709.49 acres (2.8712 km2)
Tupelo National Battlefield Mississippi 1.00 acre (0.0040 km2)
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Missouri 2,446.75 acres (9.9016 km2)

National battlefield site

Name Location Area (2024)
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site Mississippi 1.00 acre (0.0040 km2)

Former national battlefield sites

Name Established Disbanded Result
Antietam National Battlefield Site August 30, 1890 1978 Redesignated Antietam National Battlefield
New Orleans Battlefield Site (Chalmette Monument and Grounds) March 4, 1907 1939 Redesignated Chalmette National Historical Park; incorporated into Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Nov. 10, 1978
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Site February 8, 1917 1935 Redesignated Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
White Plains National Battlefield Site May 18, 1926 1956 Assumed by Battle of White Plains Monument Committee, 1958
Tupelo National Battlefield Site February 21, 1929 1961 Redesignated Tupelo National Battlefield
Monocacy National Battlefield Site March 1, 1929 June 21, 1934 Reauthorized as a national military park; redesignated Monocacy National Battlefield, Oct. 21, 1976
Cowpens National Battlefield Site March 4, 1929 1972 Redesignated Cowpens National Battlefield
Appomattox Battlefield Site June 18, 1930 1935 Designated Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument; redesignated Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, 1954
Fort Necessity National Battlefield Site March 4, 1931 1961 Redesignated Fort Necessity National Battlefield

National memorials

There are 31 national memorials that are NPS units and five affiliated national memorials.

Name Location Area (2024)
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 54.90 acres (0.2222 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)
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)
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Washington, D.C. 18.36 acres (0.0743 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)

Former national memorials

Name Established Disbanded Result
Camp Blount Tablets National Memorial 1930 1944 Transferred to NPS in 1933 from War Dept., it was never developed; only a stone marker remains off U.S. Route 231 near Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fort Clatsop National Memorial May 29, 1958 October 30, 2004 Incorporated into Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial December 21, 1935 February 22, 2018 Redesignated as Gateway Arch National Park
New Echota Marker National Memorial August 10, 1933 September 21, 1950 Transferred to state of Georgia; currently operated as a Georgia state park.
Oklahoma City National Memorial October 9, 1997 January 23, 2004 Transferred to the nonprofit Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation; NPS interpretation continues at this affiliated unit

Authorized national memorials

Name Law
Adams Memorial Authorized by Public Law 107-62
National Desert Storm/Desert Shield Memorial Authorized by National Defense Authorization Act 2015
National Global War on Terrorism Memorial Authorized by Public Law 115-51

National recreation areas

Lake Mead 1
Lake Mead National Recreation Area

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

Name Location Area (2024)
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 New Jersey, Pennsylvania 68,708.88 acres (278.0550 km2)
Gateway National Recreation Area New York, New Jersey 26,606.63 acres (107.6732 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 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 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)

Former or transferred national recreation areas

Name Established Disbanded Result
Arbuckle Recreation Area February 1, 1965 March 17, 1976 Incorporated with Platt National Park and redesignated Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area December 27, 1974 October 11, 2000 Redesignated as Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area July 22, 1963 October 1, 1968 Transferred to U.S. Forest Service
Lake Texoma Recreation Area April 18, 1946 June 30, 1949 Returned to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Millerton Lake Recreation Area May 22, 1945 November 1, 1957 Transferred to state of California; currently operated by the California Department of Water Resources
Shadow Mountain National Recreation Area June 27, 1952 March 1, 1979 Transferred to U.S. Forest Service
Shasta Lake Recreation Area May 22, 1945 July 1, 1948 Transferred to U.S. Forest Service

National seashores

There are 10 national seashores.

Name Location Area (2024)
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

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

Name Location Area (2024)
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

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

Morning on the Buffalo River
The Buffalo National River, the first National River established in the United States

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. There are many more national wild and scenic rivers that run through other units.

Name Location Area (2024)
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 67,464.82 acres (273.0204 km2)
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River New York, Pennsylvania 74,999.56 acres (303.5125 km2)

Former national rivers

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

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 Location Area (2024)
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

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 Location Area (2024)
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). 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

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.

Name Location Area (2024)
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail Hawaii
Appalachian Trail (official unit) Maine - Georgia 243,542.50 acres (985.5815 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 162.49 acres (0.6576 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

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
Yorktown National Cemetery Virginia

Transferred national cemeteries

Name Established Disbanded Result
Chattanooga National Cemetery August 10, 1933 December 7, 1944 returned to War Department

National heritage areas

The National Park Service provides limited assistance to national heritage areas, but does not administer them.

Other NPS protected areas and administrative groups

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)
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 1,175.99 acres (4.7591 km2)
Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site (affiliated area) 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) Maine
National Capital Parks-East 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) District of Columbia 155.84 acres (0.6307 km2)(National Mall only)
Parker's Crossroads Battlefield (affiliated area) Tennessee
Piscataway Park Maryland 4,616.31 acres (18.6815 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 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) 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.

Former other areas

Name Established Disbanded Result
Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument 1935 1954 Redesignated Appomattox Court House National Historical Park; previously Appomattox National Battlefield Site (1930–1935)
National Visitor Center, Washington, D.C. March 12, 1968 December 29, 1981 Transferred to Department of Transportation
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts June 16, 1972 July 21, 1994 Transferred to Kennedy Center Trustees
New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route (affiliated area) 1988 September 30, 2011 Multiple site agencies continue managing the route without NPS partnership

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

See also

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List of areas in the United States National Park System Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.