List of national parks of the United States by elevation facts for kids
Death Valley National Park, notorious for its below sea level desert, also has soaring mountains, including Telescope Peak, its highest.
This is a list of United States National Parks by elevation. Most of America's national parks are located in mountainous areas. Even among those located close to the ocean, not all are flat. Those few that are low-lying preserve important natural habitats that could never exist at high altitudes. Several national parks protect deep canyons with great vertical relief. There are also three national parks whose primary features are caves, the depths of which are still being explored.
Highest and lowest points in each US National Park
Criteria: Points on this list are the highest and lowest points within each national park and its associated national preserve, if it has one. It does not include adjacent or associated national recreation areas, parkways, memorials, or forests, but does include private property within park boundaries. Footnotes are given to mention other notable high or low points, when appropriate.
| Rank | Park | Location | Peak name | Mountain range | Elevation | Location of lowest point | Minimum elevation | Vertical relief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denali |  |
Denali | Alaska Range | 20,310 feet (6,190 m) | Yentna River | 240 feet (73 m) | 20,070 feet (6,120 m) |
| 2 | Wrangell-St. Elias | |
Mount Saint Elias | Saint Elias Mountains | 18,008 feet (5,489 m) | Gulf of Alaska | 0 feet (0 m) | 18,008 feet (5,489 m) |
| 3 | Glacier Bay | |
Mount Fairweather | Saint Elias Mountains | 15,300 feet (4,700 m) | Gulf of Alaska | 0 feet (0 m) | 15,300 feet (4,700 m) |
| 4 | Sequoia |  |
Mount Whitney | Sierra Nevada | 14,505 feet (4,421 m) | Kaweah River | 1,360 feet (410 m) | 13,145 feet (4,007 m) |
| 5 | Mount Rainier |  |
Mount Rainier | Cascade Range | 14,411 feet (4,392 m) | Ohanapecosh River | 1,610 feet (490 m) | 12,801 feet (3,902 m) |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain |  |
Longs Peak | Front Range | 14,259 feet (4,346 m) | Big Thompson River | 7,630 feet (2,330 m) | 6,629 feet (2,021 m) |
| 7 | Kings Canyon | |
North Palisade | Sierra Nevada | 14,242 feet (4,341 m) | Kaweah River (North Fork) | 3,480 feet (1,060 m) | 10,762 feet (3,280 m) |
| 8 | Grand Teton |  |
Grand Teton | Teton Range | 13,770 feet (4,200 m) | Fish Creek | 6,310 feet (1,920 m) | 7,460 feet (2,270 m) |
| 9 | Hawaii Volcanoes |  |
Mauna Loa | Hawaiian Islands | 13,679 feet (4,169 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 13,679 feet (4,169 m) |
| 10 | Great Sand Dunes | |
Tijeras Peak | Sangre de Cristo Range | 13,610 feet (4,150 m) | near San Luis Lakes | 7,520 feet (2,290 m) | 6,090 feet (1,860 m) |
| 11 | Yosemite |  |
Mount Lyell | Sierra Nevada | 13,114 feet (3,997 m) | Merced River | 2,105 feet (642 m) | 11,009 feet (3,356 m) |
| 12 | Great Basin |  |
Wheeler Peak | Snake Range | 13,065 feet (3,982 m) | Snake Creek | 6,195 feet (1,888 m) | 6,870 feet (2,090 m) |
| 13 | Yellowstone |    |
Eagle Peak | Absaroka Range | 11,358 feet (3,462 m) | Reese Creek | 5,282 feet (1,610 m) | 6,076 feet (1,852 m) |
| 14 | Death Valley |  |
Telescope Peak | Panamint Range | 11,049 feet (3,368 m) | Badwater | −282 feet (−86 m) | 11,328 feet (3,453 m) |
| 15 | Glacier | |
Mount Cleveland | Lewis Range | 10,466 feet (3,190 m) | Flathead River | 3,150 feet (960 m) | 7,316 feet (2,230 m) |
| 16 | Lassen Volcanic | |
Lassen Peak | Cascade Range | 10,457 feet (3,187 m) | Hot Springs Creek | 5,275 feet (1,608 m) | 5,182 feet (1,579 m) |
| 17 | Lake Clark |  |
Redoubt Volcano | Aleutian Range | 10,197 feet (3,108 m) | Cook Inlet | 0 feet (0 m) | 10,197 feet (3,108 m) |
| 18 | Haleakala | |
Haleakala | Hawaiian Islands | 10,023 feet (3,055 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 10,023 feet (3,055 m) |
| 19 | North Cascades | |
Goode Mountain | Cascade Range | 9,206 feet (2,806 m) | Goodell Creek | 605 feet (184 m) | 8,601 feet (2,622 m) |
| 20 | Grand Canyon |  |
Lookout tower near the North Rim's main entrance | Kaibab Plateau | 9,165 feet (2,793 m) | Lake Mead | 1,173 feet (358 m) | 7,992 feet (2,436 m) |
| 21 | Bryce Canyon |  |
Rainbow Point [1] | Paunsaugunt Plateau | 9,115 feet (2,778 m) | Yellow Creek | 6,565 feet (2,001 m) | 2,550 feet (780 m) |
| 22 | Black Canyon of the Gunnison | |
Poison Spring Hill | Grand Mesa | 9,040 feet (2,760 m) | Gunnison River | 5,440 feet (1,660 m) | 3,600 feet (1,100 m) |
| 23 | Capitol Reef | |
park boundary near Billings Pass | Colorado Plateau | 8,960 feet (2,730 m) | Halls Creek | 3,877 feet (1,182 m) | 5,083 feet (1,549 m) |
| 24 | Crater Lake |  |
Mount Scott | Cascade Range | 8,929 feet (2,722 m) | SW corner of park | 3,990 feet (1,220 m) | 4,939 feet (1,505 m) |
| 25 | Guadalupe Mountains |  |
Guadalupe Peak | Guadalupe Mountains | 8,749 feet (2,667 m) | SW corner near Williams Road | 3,636 feet (1,108 m) | 5,113 feet (1,558 m) |
| 26 | Zion | |
Horse Ranch Mountain | Colorado Plateau | 8,726 feet (2,660 m) | SW corner near Rt.9 | 3,640 feet (1,110 m) | 5,086 feet (1,550 m) |
| 27 | Saguaro | |
Mica Mountain | Rincon Mountains | 8,666 feet (2,641 m) | Rudasill & Sanders Roads, Tucson Mountain District | 2,180 feet (660 m) | 6,486 feet (1,977 m) |
| 28 | Mesa Verde | |
Park Point Lookout [2] | Colorado Plateau | 8,571 feet (2,612 m) | Soda Canyon | 6,015 feet (1,833 m) | 2,556 feet (779 m) |
| 29 | Gates of the Arctic | |
Mount Igikpak | Brooks Range | 8,276 feet (2,523 m) | Kobuk River | 280 feet (85 m) | 7,996 feet (2,437 m) |
| 30 | Olympic |  |
Mount Olympus | Olympic Mountains | 7,962 feet (2,427 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 7,962 feet (2,427 m) |
| 31 | Big Bend | |
Emory Peak | Chisos Mountains | 7,825 feet (2,385 m) | Rio Grande | 1,715 feet (523 m) | 6,110 feet (1,860 m) |
| 32 | Katmai | |
Mount Denison | Aleutian Range | 7,606 feet (2,318 m) | Shelikof Strait | 0 feet (0 m) | 7,606 feet (2,318 m) |
| 33 | Canyonlands | |
Cathedral Point | Colorado Plateau | 7,120 feet (2,170 m) | Colorado River | 3,730 feet (1,140 m) | 3,390 feet (1,030 m) |
| 34 | Great Smoky Mountains |   |
Clingmans Dome | Great Smoky Mountains | 6,643 feet (2,025 m) | Chilhowee Lake | 874 feet (266 m) | 5,769 feet (1,758 m) |
| 35 | Carlsbad Caverns |  |
Guadalupe Ridge | Guadalupe Mountains | 6,535 feet (1,992 m) | Black River | 3,596 feet (1,096 m) | 2,939 feet (896 m) |
| 36 | Kenai Fjords | |
unnamed nunatak | Harding Icefield | 6,450 feet (1,970 m) | Gulf of Alaska | 0 feet (0 m) | 6,450 feet (1,970 m) |
| 37 | Petrified Forest | |
Pilot Rock | Painted Desert | 6,234 feet (1,900 m) | BNSF Railway | 5,200 feet (1,600 m) | 1,034 feet (315 m) |
| 38 | Joshua Tree | |
Quail Mountain | Little San Bernardino Mountains | 5,813 feet (1,772 m) | Southeast boundary of the park | 536 ft
(163 m) |
4,033 feet (1,229 m) |
| 39 | Arches | |
Elephant Butte [3] | Colorado Plateau | 5,653 feet (1,723 m) | Colorado River | 3,960 feet (1,210 m) | 1,693 feet (516 m) |
| 40 | Wind Cave |  |
Rankin Ridge[4] | Black Hills | 5,013 feet (1,528 m) | Windy City Lake | 3,559 feet (1,085 m) | 1,454 feet (443 m) |
| 41 | Kobuk Valley | |
Mount Angayukaqsraq | Baird Mountains | 4,760 feet (1,450 m) | Kobuk River | 40 feet (12 m) | 4,720 feet (1,440 m) |
| 42 | White Sands | |
NE30 | Tularosa Basin | 4,116 feet (1,255 m) | Lake Lucero | 3,887 feet (1,185 m) | 229 feet (70 m) |
| 43 | Shenandoah |  |
Hawksbill Mountain | Blue Ridge Mountains | 4,051 feet (1,235 m) | unnamed stream at north end | 530 feet (160 m) | 3,521 feet (1,073 m) |
| 44 | Badlands | |
Red Shirt Table | The Badlands | 3,340 feet (1,020 m) | runoff channel SE of Ben Reifel Visitor Center | 2,365 feet (721 m) | 975 feet (297 m) |
| 45 | Pinnacles | |
North Chalone Peak | Gabilan Range | 3,304 feet (1,007 m) | SE Corner | 824 feet (251 m) | 2,480 feet (760 m) |
| 46 | New River Gorge |  |
Swell Mountain | Allegheny Mountains | 3,291 feet (1,003 m) | New River | 900 feet (270 m) | 2,391 feet (729 m) |
| 47 | American Samoa |  |
Lata Mountain | Ta'u Island, Samoan Islands | 3,170 feet (970 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 3,170 feet (970 m) |
| 48 | Redwood | |
Coyote Peak | Bald Hills | 3,170 feet (970 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 3,170 feet (970 m) |
| 49 | Theodore Roosevelt |  |
Peck Hill | The Badlands | 2,860 feet (870 m) | Little Missouri River | 1,940 feet (590 m) | 920 feet (280 m) |
| 50 | Channel Islands | |
Devils Peak, Santa Cruz Island | Channel Islands | 2,450 feet (750 m) | Pacific Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 2,450 feet (750 m) |
| 51 | Acadia |  |
Cadillac Mountain | 1,530 feet (470 m) | Atlantic Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 1,530 feet (470 m) | |
| 52 | Voyageurs |  |
Tower near Mead Wood Road entrance | 1,410 feet (430 m) | Rainy Lake | 1,108 feet (338 m) | 302 feet (92 m) | |
| 53 | Hot Springs |  |
Music Mountain | Ouachita Mountains | 1,405 feet (428 m) | Bull Bayou | 415 feet (126 m) | 990 feet (300 m) |
| 54 | Isle Royale |  |
Mount Desor | Superior Upland | 1,394 feet (425 m) | Lake Superior | 600 feet (180 m) | 794 feet (242 m) |
| 55 | Virgin Islands |  |
Bordeaux Mountain | Saint John Island, Virgin Islands | 1,277 feet (389 m) | Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) |
0 feet (0 m) | 1,277 feet (389 m) |
| 56 | Cuyahoga Valley |  |
Black & Brush Roads | Glaciated Allegheny Plateau | 1,164 feet (355 m) | Cuyahoga River | 590 feet (180 m) | 574 feet (175 m) |
| 57 | Mammoth Cave |  |
Mammoth Cave Ridge near Park Ridge Road | Pennyroyal Plateau | 925 feet (282 m) | Green River | 421 feet (128 m) | 504 feet (154 m) |
| 58 | Indiana Dunes |  |
Upland Trail, Pinhook Bog Unit | 900 feet (270 m) | Lake Michigan | 577 feet (176 m) | 323 feet (98 m) | |
| 59 | Gateway Arch |  |
Old Courthouse | 470 feet (140 m) | Mississippi River | 433 feet (132 m) | 37 feet (11 m) | |
| 60 | Congaree |  |
Old Bluff Road near main entrance | 140 feet (43 m) | Congaree River | 80 feet (24 m) | 60 feet (18 m) | |
| 61 | Everglades |  |
Calusa shell mound | 20 feet (6.1 m) | Atlantic Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 20 feet (6.1 m) | |
| 62 | Dry Tortugas | |
Loggerhead Key | Florida Keys | 10 feet (3.0 m) | Gulf of Mexico | 0 feet (0 m) | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
| 63 | Biscayne | |
Totten Key, Old Rhodes Key | Florida Keys | 9 feet (2.7 m) | Atlantic Ocean | 0 feet (0 m) | 9 feet (2.7 m) |
Selected Profiles
- The AT thru the Smokeys – The Appalachian Trail crosses through Great Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks. It reaches its highest point at Clingmans Dome.
- Skyline Drive map and profile – Skyline Drive runs the length of Shenandoah.
- PCT Elevation Profiles – The Pacific Crest Trail goes through seven national parks.
- North Cascades – Washington section K
- Mount Rainier – Washington section I
- Crater Lake – Oregon section C
- Lassen Volcanic – California section N
- Yosemite – California sections H & I
- Kings Canyon – California section H
- Sequoia – California sections G & H
- Wonderland Trail – An elevation profile of the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.
See also
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List of national parks of the United States by elevation Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.