Parks in the U.S. take many forms. It’s the green spaces that give respite, the memorials to exceptional accomplishments, the sites that tell the story of our people, and they’re home to our arts and culture. That’s why our list of national parks by state is so diverse, and also why there’s a park to appeal to every couple.
As varied as these places are, there is one thing they all have in common. Parks are the best of us.
There are 63 national parks plus 423 related sites in the United States, including national monuments (follow the link for the comprehensive list,) and another 6,660 state parks. But then there are incredible parks in America that are neither state park nor part of the national park system.
The largest national park is Wrangell St. Ellias National Park, but even the biggest national park in the continental states–Yellowstone–is dwarfed by a park that mostly resides in private hands, that is, Adirondack Park . At nearly six million acres, it’s larger than Glacier, Everglades, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon National Parks combined.
Here is a list of nearly 800 major parks and trails in the United States, sorted by state. We’ve included national parks, monuments, preserves, and historic sites. And we added the best state parks too. Because wherever you go, we hope there’s a park near you.
Where available, we’ve included inspirational travel guides to fuel your next adventurous weekend getaway.
TIP – Use the Table of Contents To Quickly Scroll to the state nearest you!
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 15 Outstanding Things To Do In Birmingham AL For Couples Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Little River Canyon National Preserve Russell Cave National Monument Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site Natchez Trace Parkway Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Alagnak Wild River Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Archeological District Denali National Park Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Katmai National Park & Preserve Kenai Fjords National Park Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Kobuk Valley National Park Lake Clark National Park & Preserve Noatak National Preserve Sitka National Historical Park Wrangell – St. Elias National Park Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Chugach Denali Wood-Tikchik Totem Bight
National Park of American Samoa
Canyon de Chelly National Monument – near Chinle, AZ
Canyon de Chelly National Monument Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Chiricahua National Monument Coronado National Memorial Fort Bowie National Historic Site Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Amazing 5-Day Southwest Road Trip For Lovers Of Photography Havasu Falls Havasu Falls; An Epic Adventure In The Southwest Hohokam Pima National Monument Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Lake Mead National Recreation Area Montezuma Castle National Monument Navajo National Monument Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Petrified Forest National Park Pipe Spring National Monument Saguaro National Park Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Tonto National Monument Tumacácori National Historical Park Tuzigoot National Monument Walnut Canyon National Monument Wupatki National Monument
Breathtaking sunset over open roadside land in Arizona.
Slide Rock Red Rock Tonto Natural Bridge Kartchner Caverns
Quapaw Baths – Hot Springs National Park – Hot Springs, AR
Arkansas Post National Memorial Buffalo National River Fort Smith National Historic Site Hot Springs National Park Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Pea Ridge National Military Park President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace National Historic Site
Petit Jean Devil’s Den Village Creek Crater of Diamonds Lake Chicot
Race the wind at Joshua Tree National Park, California.
AIDS Memorial Grove National Memorial Alcatraz Island Cabrillo National Monument California National Historic Trail Channel Islands National Park Death Valley National Park Devils Postpile National Monument Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site Fort Point National Historic Site Golden Gate National Recreation Area John Muir National Historic Site Joshua Tree National Park Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Kings Canyon National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park Lava Beds National Monument Manzanar National Historic Site Mojave National Preserve Muir Woods National Monument Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Pinnacles National Monument Point Reyes National Seashore Pony Express National Historic Trail Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Monument Presidio of San Francisco Redwood National Park Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area Yosemite National Park
Yoga handstand overlooking Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, in San Diego County, CA.
Anza-Borrego Desert Humboldt Redwoods Ahjumawi Lava Springs Mount Tamalpais Pfeiffer Big Sur Ano Nuevo Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Lookout at Alpine Visitor Center, the highest facility of its kind, in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado National Monument 20 Romantic Stops On 467 Miles Of US Route 6 Colorado Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Curecanti National Recreation Area Dinosaur National Monument Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve Hovenweep National Monument Mesa Verde National Park Pony Express National Historic Trail Rocky Mountain National Park Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Sante Fe National Historic Trail Yucca House National Monument
Ride the bumps on the Dirt Jump Facility at Frisco Adventure Park in Frisco, CO.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area First State National Monument
Children playing volleyball, and turning cartwheels, on Dewey Beach near Delaware Seashore State Park.
Bridge into history at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. St. Augustine, FL
Big Cypress National Preserve Biscayne National Park Canaveral National Seashore Castillo de San Marcos National Monument St. Augustine: Romantic Getaway For History Lovers (and Foodies!) De Soto National Memorial Dry Tortugas National Park Everglades National Park Florida National Scenic Trail Fort Caroline National Memorial Fort Matanzas National Monument Gulf Islands National Seashore Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve Wekiva River
Tubing in the clear waters of Rock Springs Run of the Wekiva River, Florida.
Subtle invitation to appreciate nature from rocking chair perspective at Sapelo Island Visitors Center, GA.
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Andersonville National Historic Site Appalachian National Scenic Trail Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park Cumberland Island National Seashore Fort Frederica National Monument Fort Pulaski National Monument Savannah In a Day Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site Ocmulgee National Monument Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Stephen C. Foster Tallulah Gorge Fort Mountain Cloudland Canyon Providence Canyon
American Memorial Park War in the Pacific National Historical Park
Haleakala National Park Hawai i Volcanoes National Park Kalaupapa National Historical Park Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site USS Arizona WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument
N Pali Coast Waimea Canyon and Kokee Kealakekua Bay Iao Valley Iolani Palace
The Dog of Discovery, a tribute to Seaman, Captain Meriwether Lewis’ dog, “the greatest traveler of his species, who accompanied Lewis & Clark from the Pacific Ocean to the interior of the North American continent.
City of Rocks National Reserve Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Minidoka National Historic Site Nez Perce National Historical Park Sawtooth National Recreation Area Yellowstone National Park
Soak in the warmth and health benefits of mineral-rich hot springs in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Bear Lake Ponderosa Harriman Bruneau Dunes Old Mission Heyburn
Chicago Portage National Historic Site Lincoln Home National Historic Site Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
The annual Chicago Blues Festival is held in June at Grant Park.
Giant City Fort Massac Starved Rock Mississippi Palisades Ferne Clyffe
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Brown County Spring Mill Falls of the Ohio Indiana Dunes
California National Historic Trail Effigy Mounds National Monument Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
Run past a 100 ft tall Dutch Windmill in Fulton, IA on the Great River Trail along the Mississippi River.
Backbone Great River Trail Ledges Maquoketa Caves Stone
Still rich in undiscovered fossils, Kansas’ Monument Rocks coughed up the infamous “fish-within-a-fish.”
California National Historic Trail Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Fort Larned National Historic Site Fort Scott National Historic Site Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark Nicodemus National Historic Site Oregon National Historic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Santa Fe National Historic Trail Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Lake Scott Prairie Dog Clinton Elk City
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Big South Fork National River Recreation Area Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Mammoth Cave National Park Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Cumberland Falls Natural Bridge Carver Caves John James Audubon
Cane River Creole National Historical Park Chalmette National Cemetery Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park Poverty Point National Monument
Chicot Lake Fausse Pointe Lake Bistineau Poverty Point State Historic Site
Summit a mountain peak. Hike, or drive, to the top of Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain–one of the first spots in the US to see the sunrise.
Cruise the C & O Canal like it’s the 1870s on a boat pulled by mules.
Assateague Gunpowder Falls Patapsco Valley Swallow Falls
“It is but the farm of a Patriot.” John Adams, 1788. Ramble over the home and gardens of America’s second president.
Automobile National Heritage Area Isle Royale National Park Keweenaw National Historical Park North Country National Scenic Trail Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore River Raisin National Battlefield Park Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Mackinac Island Porcupine Mountains Fort Wilkins P.J. Hoffmaster Hartwick Pines
Grand Portage National Monument Mississippi National River & Recreation Area Pipestone National Monument Voyageurs National Park
Itasca Forestville/Mystery Cave Tettegouche Soudan Underground Mine Blue Mounds
At play among giant water tupelo and bald cypress trees along Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site Gulf Islands National Seashore Natchez National Historical Park Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo National Battlefield Vicksburg National Military Park
Natchez Percy Quin Tishomingo Trace Winterville Mounds
California National Historic Trail Gateway Arch National Park 29+ Artsy Things To Do In St. Louis MO For Couples George Washington Carver National Monument Harry S. Truman National Historic Site Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Oregon National Historic Trail Ozark National Scenic Riverways Pony Express National Historic Trail Santa Fe National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
Prairie Ha Ha Tonka Montauk Meramec
A walk among the clouds in Glacier National Park.
Big Hole National Battlefield Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site Glacier National Park Flathead Lake Lodge: Romantic Lodging Near Glacier National Park Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Nez Perce National Historical Site Yellowstone National Park Backpacking with Kids in Yellowstone National Park
Original Pony Express Station in Gothenburg, Nebraska hailing back to 1860 when thousands of pioneers ventured out on the Mormon and Oregon Trails.
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument California National Historic Trail Chimney Rock National Heritage Site Homestead National Monument of America Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Missouri National Recreational River Oregon National Scenic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Niobrara National Scenic River Scotts Bluff National Monument
Fort Robinson Lake McConaughy Arbor Lodge
An ancient grove of Bristlecone Pines–some date back 5000 years–can be seen on the 3-mile Alpine Loop Trail in Great Basin National Park.
California National Historic Trail Death Valley National Park Great Basin National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Pony Express National Historic Trail
Get a bird’s eye view of Lake Tahoe from a parasailing vantage point.
Lake Tahoe Nevada Valley of Fire Cathedral Gorge Berlin-Ichthyosaur
Glamping accommodations at Greenleaf Hut and stellar views of the Franconia mountain range reward hikers on the White Mountains hut to hut trail.
Franconia Notch See below. Mount Washington NH White Mountains Robert Frost Farm Odiorne Point White Mountains
Gain insight from an inventive mind at Thomas Edison’s laboratory, now preserved as a national historic site, and his neighboring home, Glenmont, a Victorian-style estate in Llewelyn Park, the first planned residential community in the United States.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Sussex County NJ: For Outdoor Enthusiasts Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River Morristown National Historical Park Morristown NJ Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Island Beach High Point Ringwood Allaire
Tour the reconstructed Great Kiva–the third largest ever excavated–and explore 400 masonry rooms of a 900-year-old Pueblo Great House at Aztec Ruins National Monument in Aztec, New Mexico.
Aztec Ruins National Monument Bandelier National Monument Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Capulin Volcano National Monument Carsbad Caverns National Monument Chaco Culture National Historical Park El Malpais National Monument El Morro National Monument Fort Union National Monument Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Old Spanish National Historic Trail Pecos National Historical Park Petroglyph National Monument Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Santa Fe National Historic Trail White Sands National Monument
A world of mystery and magic await those daring enough to tackle the headlights-only Lower Cave tour in Carlsbad Caverns.
Sugarite Canyon Clayton Lake Heron Lake El Vado Lake Oliver Lee Memorial
Step into a 19th Century landscape painting at Kaaterskill Falls, one of several points along the Hudson River School Art Trail in the Catskill Mountains.
African Burial Ground National Monument Castle Clinton National Monument Central Park Central Park South: The New York City of the Movies Federal Hall National Memorial NYC Financial District Gateway National Recreation Area General Grant National Memorial Governor Island National Monument Hamilton Grange National Memorial High Line Chelsea NYC National September 11 Memorial &Museum Downtown NYC: I’ll Take Lower Manhattan Hudson River Park Statue of Liberty National Monument New York City Photos from the Circle Line Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
Appalachian National Scenic Trail Blue Ridge Parkway Cape Hatteras National Seashore Cape Lookout National Seashore Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Great Smoky Mountains National Park Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Moores Creek National Battlefield Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Wright Brothers National Memorial
Sing, dance, and bang your bongos at the weekly Pritchard Park Drum Circle in Asheville, North Carolina.
Hanging Rock Stone Mountain Hammocks Beach Fort Macon Pritchard Park (Asheville)
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site International Peace Garden Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail North Country National Scenic Trail Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Cross Ranch Fort Abraham Lincoln Lake Metigoshe Icelandic
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument Cuyahoga Valley National Park David Berger National Memorial Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park First Ladies National Historic Site Hopewell Culture National Historical Park James A. Garfield National Historical Site Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridors North Country National Scenic Trail Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial William Howard Taft National Historic Site
Hocking Hills Hueston Woods Kelleys Island Maumee Bay
Chickasaw National Recreation Area Fort Smith National Historic Site Santa Fe National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Tral Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
Beavers Bend Quartz Mountain Black Mesa Osage Hills
California National Historic Trail Crater Lake National Park Lewis & Clark National Historical Park John Day Fossil Beds National Monument McLoughlin House National Historic Site Nez Perce National Historical Park Oregon National Historic Trail Oregon Caves National Monument Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Gaze on Mount Hood as you pick your own cherries on the Fruit Loop Trail in Hood County, Oregon.
Fort Stevens Hudson River County Fruit Loop Trail Silver Falls Sunset Bay Farewell Bend
Remember. Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown, PA
San Juan National Historic Site El Yunque National Forest Camuy River Cave Park
Drop a line on a quiet Rhode Island seashore.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site Congaree National Park Cowpens National Battlefield Fort Sumter National Monument Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site Kings Mountain National Military Park Ninety Six National Historic Site Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail South Carolina National Heritage Corridor
Mountain Bridge Devils Fork Huntington Beach Hunting Island
Badlands National Park Jewel Cave National Monument Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Missouri National Recreational River Mount Rushmore National Memorial Niobrara National Scenic Riverway Wind Cave National Park
Custer Fort Sisseton Newton Hills
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Appalachian National Scenic Trail Johnson City TN – For The Love Of The Outdoors Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area Fort Donelson National Battlefield Great Smoky Mountains National Park Obed Wild & Scenic River Shiloh National Military Park Stones River National Battlefield
Fall Creek Falls Roan Mountain Pickett Reelfoot Lake
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Amistad National Recreation Area Big Bend National Park Big Thicket National Preserve Chamizal National Memorial Fort Davis National Historic Site Guadalupe Mountains National Park Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park Padre Island National Seashore Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Big Bend Ranch Enchanted Rock Brazos Bend Caddo Lake
Arches National Park Bryce Canyon National Park Amazing 5-Day Southwest Road Trip For Lovers Of Photography California National Historic Trail Canyonlands National Park Capitol Reef National Park Cedar Breaks National Monument Dinosaur National Monument Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Golden Spike National Historic Site Hovenweep National Monument Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Natural Bridges National Monument Oregon National Historic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Rainbow Bridge National Monument Timpanogos Cave National Monument Zion National Park
Antelope Island Bear Lake Coral Pink Sand Dunes Dead Horse Point Goblin Valley Kodachrome Basin
Aboard the Lake Champlain ferry from Burlington, VT to Port Kent, NY.
Buck Island Reef National Monument Christiansted National Historic Site Salt River Bay National Historical Park & Ecological Preserve Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument Virgin Islands National Park The Definitive St. Thomas Travel Guide
Jump back in time at a living history exhibit in Jamestown Settlement, an important part of Virginia’s Colonial National Historical Park.
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Lake Chelan National Recreation Area Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Mount Rainier National Park Nez Perce National Historical Park North Cascades National Park Olympic National Park Oregon National Scenic Trail Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Ross Lake National Recreation Area San Juan Island National Historical Park Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Deception Pass Moran Cape Disappointment Riverside
Sitting on a rock facing the Potomac River and the Shenandoah Mountains, a reenactor tells tales of Harpers Ferry’s place in history.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail Bluestone National Scenic River Gauley River National Recreation Area Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Monongahela National Forest – Seneca Rocks New River Gorge National Park
Pipestem Resort Blackwater Falls Canaan Valley Resort Watoga
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Ice Age National Scenic Trail Ice Age National Scientific Reserve Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail North Country National Scenic Trail St. Croix National Scenic Riverway
Devil’s Lake Penisula Rock Island Copper Falls
Ride a horse through sage-scented hills in Medicine Bow National Forest.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area California National Historic Trail Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Devils Tower National Monument Fort Laramie National Historic Site Fossil Butte National Monument Grand Teton National Park John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway Medicine Bow National Forest Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Nez Perce National Historic Trail Oregon National Scenic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Yellowstone National Park Backpacking with Kids in Yellowstone National Park
Sinks Canyon Guernsey Trail End
Catch a selfie with the Cherry Blossoms and visitors from all over the world.
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Constitution Gardens Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Korean War Veterans Memorial Lincoln Memorial Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site National Mall Washington, D.C. in a Day Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Rock Creek Park Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site Theodore Roosevelt Island Thomas Jefferson Memorial Washington, D.C. in a Day Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington, D.C. in a Day Washington Monument Washington, D.C. in a Day White House
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Sandra Foyt is a storyteller, road trip junkie, and award-winning travel photographer. A veteran of many cross-country road trips, she drove Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, the Fossil Freeway, the Extraterrestrial Highway, and even “The Loneliest Road in America.”
Sandra is based in Upstate New York, with family homes in California and the Caribbean. Her work is influenced by tropical colors and warm relationships. And she believes that the best travel photography connects us across time, place, and culture.
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