Table of National Parks

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Horseshoe Bend	National Military Park	1956	826	2,040	Site of 1814 defeat of the Creek Nation, which led to opening Alabama and Georgia to settlement
Little River Canyon	National Preserve	1992	5,517	13,633	Unique environment for threatened and endangered species; recreational opportunities for rock climbing and kayaking
Natchez Trace	National Scenic Trail	1983	4,450	10,995	Segments of this 1,117 km (694 mi) scenic trail are found alongside the Natchez Trace Parkway (Trail also in Mississippi and Tennessee)
Natchez Trace Parkway	National Parkway	1934	20,941	51,746	Parkway follows historic route used by Native Americans and early settlers from Natchez, Mississippi, through Alabama, to Nashville, Tennessee
Russell Cave	National Monument	1961	126	310	Human habitation of nearly 9,000 years is recorded in the cave
Tuskegee Airmen	National Historic Site	1998	36	90	Site where pilots of the all-black air corps unit received initial flight training in the early 1940s
Tuskegee Institute	National Historic Site	1974	23	58	Buildings of college for blacks founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Alagnak	Wild River	1980	12,410	30,665	Offers 111 km (69 mi) of exceptional whitewater rafting and salmon fishing
Aleutian World War II	National Historic Area	1996	54	134	Remains of Fort Schwatka, constructed in the early 1940s to protect Dutch Harbor from Japanese attack
Aniakchak	National Monument, National Preserve	1978	243,936	602,779	One of the great dry calderas in the world; erupted in 1931
Bering Land Bridge	National Preserve	1978	1,091,643	2,697,406	Remnant of land bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000 years ago
Cape Krusenstern	National Monument	1978	262,715	649,182	Archaeological sites containing a record of habitation in Alaska as long as 4,000 years ago
Denali	National Park, National Preserve	1917	2,458,570	6,075,030	Mt. McKinley, North America's highest mountain; large glaciers of the Alaska Range; wildlife
Gates of the Arctic	National Park, National Preserve	1978	3,428,839	8,472,527	Rugged wilderness area lying entirely north of the Arctic Circle; second largest unit of the National Park System
Glacier Bay	National Park, National Preserve	1925	1,328,733	3,283,246	Great tidewater glaciers, scenic mountains, large variety of animals and plants
Katmai	National Park, National Preserve	1918	1,656,533	4,093,229	Site of 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano; a few active volcanic vents remain
Kenai Fjords	National Park	1978	271,143	669,983	Harding Icefield, one of four major ice caps in the U.S.; coastal fjords; rain forest
Klondike Gold Rush	National Historical Park	1976	5,339	13,191	Historic buildings in Skagway and parts of trails important to the 1898 gold rush
Kobuk Valley	National Park	1978	708,525	1,750,737	Features an array of arctic wildlife and significant archaeological sites of 10,000 years of human occupation
Lake Clark	National Park, National Preserve	1978	1,630,955	4,030,025	Diverse mountainous landscape containing glaciers, lakes, and two active volcanoes
Noatak	National Preserve	1978	2,658,746	6,569,904	Largest mountain-ringed river basin in the U.S. still virtually unaffected by humans; Grand Canyon of the Noatak
Sitka	National Historical Park	1910	46	113	Site of fort and battle (1804) that marked the last major resistance by the Tlingit people to Russian colonization
Wrangell- St. Elias	National Park, National Preserve	1978	5,332,300	13,175,903	Largest unit of the National Park System; encompasses three mountain ranges and numerous glaciers
Yukon- Charley Rivers	National Preserve	1978	1,022,482	2,526,512	Protects part of Yukon River and entire Charley River basin; contains remnants of gold rush settlements
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

American Samoa	National Park	1988	3,642	9,000	Contains paleotropical rain forests, coral reefs, and unique tropical animals, birds, and fishes
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Agua Fria	National Monument	2000	28,800	71,100	450 prehistoric sites, including agricultural features
Canyon de Chelly	National Monument	1931	33,929	83,840	Remains of Native American villages built between ad 350 and 1300
Casa Grande Ruins	National Monument	1889	191	473	Ruins of a massive four-story building constructed by Native American farmers in the 1300s
Chiricahua	National Monument	1924	4,850	11,985	Rock formations created millions of years ago by volcanic activity and since sculpted by erosion
Coronado	National Memorial	1941	1,922	4,750	Commemorates Hispanic heritage and the first European exploration of the Southwest (1540-1542) by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Fort Bowie	National Historic Site	1964	405	1,000	Ruins of fort dating from 1862; site of U.S. military operations against the Apache leader Geronimo and his warriors
Glen Canyon	National Recreation Area	1958	507,600	1,254,306	Lake Powell, formed by Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River (Also in Utah)
Grand Canyon	National Park	1893	492,665	1,217,403	Spectacular canyon of the Colorado River; formations illustrate vast periods of geological history
Hohokam Pima	National Monument	1972	684	1,690	Archaeological remains of the Hohokam culture
Hubbell Trading Post	National Historic Site	1965	65	160	Still-active trading post dating from 1878
Lake Mead	National Recreation Area	1936	605,274	1,495,666	Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam, and Lake Mohave, formed by Davis Dam, on the Colorado River (Also in Nevada)
Montezuma Castle	National Monument	1906	347	858	Five-story, 20-room structure, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the U.S.
Navajo	National Monument	1909	146	360	Three cliff dwellings of the Kayenta Anasazi
Organ Pipe Cactus	National Monument	1937	133,825	330,689	Protected Sonoran Desert plants and animals along remnants of historic Camino del Diablo trail
Parashant	National Monument	2000	410,000	1,014,000	Remote desert land north of the Grand Canyon
Petrified Forest	National Park	1906	37,851	93,533	Petrified wood, Native American ruins and petroglyphs, portions of the Painted Desert
Pipe Spring	National Monument	1923	16	40	Mormon fort and other structures memorializing exploration and settlement of the Southwest
Saguaro	National Park	1933	37,008	91,446	Forests of giant saguaro cactus unique to the Sonoran Desert
Sunset Crater Volcano	National Monument	1930	1,230	3,040	Colorful volcanic cinder cone with summit crater
Tonto	National Monument	1907	453	1,120	Cliff dwellings of the Salado people dating from the 13th and 14th centuries
Tumacacori	National Historical Park	1908	19	46	Mission sites of Tumacacori, Guevavi, and Calabazas that were established by Jesuits in the late 1690s
Tuzigoot	National Monument	1939	324	801	Excavated ruins of large Native American pueblo that flourished between ad 1100 and 1450
Walnut Canyon	National Monument	1915	1,448	3,579	Pueblo cliff dwellings built in caves under limestone ledges beginning about ad 1100
Wupatki	National Monument	1924	14,335	35,422	Remains of red sandstone pueblos built by Native Americans in the 11th century
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Arkansas Post	National Memorial	1960	302	747	Site of first permanent French settlement in the Lower Mississippi Valley, dating from 1686
Buffalo	National River	1972	38,161	94,294	One of the few free-flowing rivers in the lower 48 states
Central High School	National Historic Site	1998	7	18	Site of dramatic school desegregation efforts in 1957
Fort Smith	National Historic Site	1961	30	75	Early U.S. military post in the Louisiana Territory; established to monitor various Native American peoples (Also in Oklahoma)
Hot Springs	National Park	1832	2,246	5,549	Forty-seven thermal springs
Pea Ridge	National Military Park	1956	1,740	4,300	Site of important Union victory (1862) in Civil War
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Cabrillo	National Monument	1913	65	160	Memorial to Juan Rodríquez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer who claimed the West Coast for Spain in 1542
California Coastal	National Monument	2000	not set	not set	Hundreds of tiny island, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles along the entire state coast
Channel Islands	National Park	1938	100,998	249,651	Five islands off the southern California mainland, with sea lion rookeries and sea bird nesting sites
Death Valley	National Park	1933	1,351,867	3,340,410	Large desert, nearly surrounded by mountains; contains the lowest point in the western hemisphere (Also in Nevada)
Devils Postpile	National Monument	1911	323	798	Basalt columns rise 12 to 18 m (40 to 60 ft) and resemble a giant pipe organ; John Muir Trail crosses the monument
Eugene O'Neill	National Historic Site	1976	5.3	13.2	House near Danville where the playwright lived and wrote some of his best-known plays from 1937 to 1944
Fort Point	National Historic Site	1970	12	29	Classic brick and granite coastal fort dating from the mid-19th century
Golden Gate	National Recreation Area	1972	30,278	74,816	Shoreline areas of San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties; ocean beaches, redwood forest, the Presidio, and Alcatraz Island
John Muir	National Historic Site	1964	140	345	Home of the noted conservationist, also includes adjacent Martinez Adobe
Joshua Tree	National Park	1936	412,035	1,018,122	Desert region containing a representative stand of Joshua trees and various plants and animals
Kings Canyon	National Park	1890	186,925	461,901	Mountain wilderness and canyons; giant sequoias
Lassen Volcanic	National Park	1907	43,047	106,372	Signs of volcanic activity include hot springs, steaming fumaroles, mud pots, and sulfurous vents
Lava Beds	National Monument	1925	18,842	46,560	Rugged landscape created by molten rock and lava; site of Modoc War (1872-1873)
Manzanar	National Historic Site	1992	329	814	Recalls the internment of Japanese-Americans beginning in 1942 during World War II
Mojave	National Preserve	1994	604,892	1,494,666	Protects habitat of the desert tortoise, vast open spaces, and historic mining scenes
Muir Woods	National Monument	1908	224	554	Virgin stand of coastal redwoods named for conservationist and writer John Muir
Pinnacles	National Monument	1908	6,583	16,265	Rock formations about 150 to 370 m (about 500 to 1,200 ft) high, with caves and a variety of volcanic features, surrounded by flat terrain
Point Reyes	National Seashore	1962	28,761	71,068	Beaches backed by cliffs; offshore bird and sea lion colonies; lagoons and forests
Redwood	National Park	1968	45,575	112,613	World's tallest known trees in coastal redwood forests
Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front	National Historical Park	2000	59	145	Recognizes work of American women, minorities, and men toward a common goal in a manner that has been unequaled since World War II
San Francisco Maritime	National Historical Park	1988	20	50	Historic vessels and National Maritime Museum; library and collections of ship plans and photographs at the Fort Mason Center
Santa Monica Mountains	National Recreation Area	1978	62,171	153,621	Rugged chaparral-covered landscape along Pacific Coast north of Los Angeles
Sequoia	National Park	1890	162,895	402,503	Groves of giant sequoias, Mineral King Valley, Mt. Whitney
Whiskeytown -Shasta- Trinity	National Recreation Area	1965	17,201	42,503	Mountainous backcountry with large reservoir and remains of gold rush buildings
Yosemite	National Park	1864	308,073	761,266	Spectacular mountain scenery with groves of giant sequoias, cliffs, and waterfalls
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Bent's Old Fort	National Historic Site	1960	323	799	Frontier trading post and center of white civilization on the Santa Fe Trail
Black Canyon of the Gunnison	National Park	1933	11,212	27,705	Sheer-walled canyon with ancient rocks of geologic interest
Colorado	National Monument	1911	8,310	20,534	Canyons, monoliths, dinosaur fossils, remains of prehistoric Native American cultures
Curecanti	National Recreation Area	1965	16,985	41,972	Blue Mesa, Crystal, and Morrow Point lakes along the Gunnison River
Dinosaur	National Monument	1915	85,100	210,278	Landscape of mountains and canyons; quarry containing fossil remains of dinosaurs and other ancient animals (Also in Utah)
Florissant Fossil Beds	National Monument	1969	2,427	5,998	Preserved remains of ancient insects, seeds, and leaves; standing petrified sequoia stumps
Great Sand Dunes	National Park and Preserve	1932	60,700	150,000	Along with sand dunes, it also includes alpine lakes, tundra, mountains, ancient spruce and pine forests, grasslands, and wetlands
Hovenweep	National Monument	1923	318	785	Six groups of towers, cliff dwellings, and pueblos constructed by pre-Columbian Native Americans (Also in Utah)
Mesa Verde	National Park	1906	21,093	52,122	Pre-Columbian cliff dwellings and other works of early people
Rocky Mountain	National Park	1915	107,557	265,769	High peaks, wildlife, and wildflowers along the Continental Divide
Yucca House	National Monument	1919	14	34	Ruins of large pre-Columbian Native American pueblos
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Appalachian	National Scenic Trail	1968	86,730	222,175	Scenic trail 3,473 km (2,158 mi) long following the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia
Weir Farm	National Historic Site	1990	30	74	Home and studio of American impressionist painter Julian Alden Weir
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Big Cypress	National Preserve	1974	291,616	720,571	Subtropical plant and animal life; endangered species
Biscayne	National Park	1968	69,980	172,924	Subtropical islands with the northernmost coral reef in the U.S.
Canaveral	National Seashore	1975	23,335	57,662	Abundant wildlife, including many species of birds
Castillo de San Marcos	National Monument	1924	8.3	20.5	Oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S.; begun in 1672 to defend the settlement of St. Augustine
De Soto	National Memorial	1948	11	27	Commemorates the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in Florida (1539)
Dry Tortugas	National Park	1935	26,185	64,701	Includes Fort Jefferson, the largest all-masonry fortification in the western hemisphere
Everglades	National Park	1934	610,503	1,508,529	Subtropical wilderness containing freshwater and saltwater areas, open Everglades prairies, and mangrove forests
Fort Caroline	National Memorial	1950	56	138	Site of French Huguenot colony in the 16th century
Fort Matanzas	National Monument	1924	121	300	Spanish fort built (1740-1742) to defend St. Augustine from British attack
Gulf Islands	National Seashore	1971	55,627	137,458	Beaches, historic forts, and nature trails on offshore islands; beaches and military forts on mainland
Timucuan	National Preserve	1988	18,733	46,289	Named for Native Americans who lived here for more than 3000 years; preserves historic sites and natural resources
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Andersonville	National Historic Site	1970	200	495	Civil War prisoner-of-war camp and national cemetery
Appalachian	National Scenic Trail	1968	86,730	222,175	Scenic trail 3,473 km (2,158 mi) long following the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia
Chattahoochee River	National Recreation Area	1978	3,677	9,086	Series of sites preserved for public enjoyment along a stretch of the river
Chickamauga and Chattanooga	National Military Park	1890	3,330	8,228	Civil War battlefields in vicinity of Chattanooga (Also in Tennessee)
Cumberland Island	National Seashore	1972	14,737	36,416	Largest of Georgia's Golden Isles, with beaches, dunes, marshes, and freshwater lakes
Fort Frederica	National Monument	1936	98	241	British town and fort built (1736-1748) during conflict between Britain and Spain over control of the Southeastern United States
Fort Pulaski	National Monument	1924	2,276	5,623	Masonry structure bombarded by Union artillery during the Civil War
Jimmy Carter	National Historic Site	1987	29	71	Family home, boyhood home, and other sites associated with the 39th U.S. president
Kennesaw Mountain	National Battlefield Park	1917	1,167	2,884	Site of Civil War battles of the Atlanta campaign (1864)
Martin Luther King, Jr.	National Historic Site	1980	16	39	Birthplace and gravesite of the civil rights leader, with associated structures
Ocmulgee	National Monument	1934	284	702	Preserves traces of 12,000 years of Southeastern culture from Ice Age peoples to the Creek Nation
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Haleakala	National Park	1916	12,072	29,830	Haleakala Crater; the ecosystems of Kipahulu Valley; scenic pools along 'Ohe'o Gulch; endangered species
Hawaii Volcanoes	National Park	1916	84,864	209,695	Active volcanoes; rare flora and fauna
Kalaupapa	National Historical Park	1980	4,362	10,779	Site of the Molokai Island Hansen's disease (leprosy) settlement (1866-1969)
Kaloko- Honokohau	National Historical Park	1978	470	1,161	Site of important Hawaiian settlements from before the arrival of European explorers
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau	National Historical Park	1955	74	182	Sacred grounds from precolonial period, including house sites
Pu'ukohola Heiau	National Historic Site	1972	35	86	Ruins of Temple on the Hill of the Whale, built by King Kamehameha the Great
USS Arizona Memorial	National Memorial	1980	4.2	10.5	Memorial floats above the remains of the battleship USS Arizona, sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

War in the Pacific	National Historical Park	1978	824	2,037	Historic sites associated with fighting in the Pacific Islands during World War II
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

City of Rocks	National Reserve	1988	5,709	14,107	Granite spires and sculptured rock formations; remnants of the California Trail
Craters of the Moon	National Monument	1924	289,251	714,727	Landscape marked by volcanic cones, caves, and lava flows 2100 years old
Hagerman Fossil Beds	National Monument	1988	1,761	4,351	Fossils embedded in the banks of the Snake River
Minidoka Internment	National Monument	2001	29	73	Recognizes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
Nez Percé	National Historical Park	1965	863	2,134	Commemorates culture and traditions of Nez Percé people (Sites also in Washington, Montana, and Oregon)
Yellowstone	National Park	1872	898,317	2,219,791	First national park; world's greatest geyser area; Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (Also in Wyoming and Montana)
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Lincoln Home	National Historic Site	1971	5.0	12.2	Home of Abraham Lincoln before he became the 16th U.S. president
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

George Rogers Clark	National Historical Park	1966	11	26	Commemorates the capture of Fort Sackville from the British by Lt. Col. George Rogers Clark (1779)
Indiana Dunes	National Lakeshore	1966	6,096	15,063	Dunes 55 m (180 ft) high along Lake Michigan's southern shore; natural features and historic sites
Lincoln Boyhood	National Memorial	1962	81	200	Childhood residence of Abraham Lincoln
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Effigy Mounds	National Monument	1949	1,022	2,526	Prehistoric burial mounds, some formed in the shapes of animals
Herbert Hoover	National Historic Site	1965	76	187	Birthplace, home, and gravesite of the 31st U.S. president
* Earliest date of federal government involvement with the area.

Name

Classification

Date*

Hectares

Acres

Features

Brown v. Board of Education	National Historic Site	1992	0.7	1.9	Commemorates Supreme Court decision that marks the turning point in ending racial segregation in U.S. public schools
Fort Larned	National Historic Site	1964	291	718	Military outpost established (1859) midway along the Santa Fe Trail to protect the mail and travelers; a key military base of operations during the Indian Wars
Fort Scott	National Historic Site	1965	6.8	16.7	Site of 19th-century frontier military base for U.S. Army, town of Fort Scott, and Civil War military post
Nicodemus	National Historic Site	1976	65	161	Town settled in 1877 by blacks during Reconstruction after the Civil War
Tallgrass Prairie	National Preserve	1996	4,409	10,894	Remnant of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem that once covered central North America