In 1916, the National Parks Service was founded to protect and maintain the national parks and monuments in the U.S. From Zion to Yosemite, each park has its own rich history.
But how many national parks are there and which state has the most? Here is what you need to know.
How many national parks are there?
There are 63 national parks in the U.S., according to the National Park Service.
Which state has the most national parks?
California has the most national parks with nine total in the state. The next state with the most parks is Alaska, which has eight national parks.
Utah comes in third place with a total of five national parks, while Colorado is in fourth with four national parks.
What is the #1 national park?These were the 15 most visited in 2022.
What was the first national park?
Yellowstone National Park is the world'sfirst national park, according to the National Park Service.
"TheYellowstone National Park Protection Act" was signed into law byPresident Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. The act protected the land from private development and declared it "a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."
On Aug.25,1916, the National Parks Service was founded after "The National Park Service Organic Act" was passed by Congress andapproved by President Woodrow Wilson.
Are US national parks free?Entry to all national parks is free on these five days in 2023.
National parks by state
Here are the national parks by state and U.S. territory:
Alaska
- Denali National Park
- Gates of the Arctic National Park
- Glacier Bay National Park
- Katmai National Park
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kobuk Valley National Park
- Lake Clark National Park
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
American Samoa
- National Park of American Samoa
Arizona
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Saguaro National Park
Arkansas
- Hot Springs National Park
California
- Channel Islands National Park
- Death Valley National Park(California and Nevada)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Yosemite National Park
Horses, beavers and squirrels ... oh my!These are all the state animals across the USA.
Colorado
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
Florida
- Biscayne National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Everglades National Park
Hawaii
- Haleakala National Park
- Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Idaho
- Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montanaand Wyoming)
Kentucky
- Mammoth Cave National Park
Indiana
- Indiana Dunes National Park
Maine
- Acadia National Park
Michigan
- Isle Royale National Park
Minnesota
- Voyageurs National Park
Missouri
- Gateway Arch National Park
Montana
- Glacier National Park
- Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montanaand Wyoming)
Nevada
- Death Valley National Park (California and Nevada)
- Great Basin National Park
New Mexico
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- White Sands National Park
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North Carolina
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)
North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Ohio
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Oregon
- Crater Lake National Park
South Carolina
- Congaree National Park
South Dakota
- Badlands National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)
Texas
- Big Bend National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Utah
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Zion National Park
Virgin Islands
- Virgin Islands National Park
Virginia
- Shenandoah National Park
Washington
- Mount Rainier National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Olympic National Park
What is your state's official flower?Here's a list of the state flower for all 50 US states
West Virginia
- New River Gorge National Park
Wyoming
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming)
