kids encyclopedia robot

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

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
US-NationalParkService-ShadedLogo
National Park Service logo

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

As of January 2017, 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 rooted in the language of a park's enabling legislation. Elsewhere, Fort Moultrie is not counted as a unit because it is considered a feature of Fort Sumter National Monument.

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.

The National Register of Historic Places is administered by the Park Service (with nearly 79,000 entries) and automatically includes all National Park System areas designated because of their historic significance. This includes all National Historical Parks/Historic Sites, National Battlefields/Military Parks, National Memorials, and some National Monuments.

Units are found in all 50 states, in Washington, D.C., and in the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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

National parks

Existing national parks

There are 59 officially designated national parks in the United States and its dependent areas.

Biscayne underwater NPS1
Underwater view of a coral reef at Biscayne National Park
Alum Cave Bluffs Trail
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina / Tennessee
Name Location Year established Area
Acadia National Park Maine 1919 48,876.58 acres (197.7965 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 242,755.94 acres (982.3984 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 30,750.03 acres (124.4410 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 241,904.26 acres (978.9518 km2)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park New Mexico 1930 46,766.45 acres (189.2571 km2)
Channel Islands National Park California 1980 249,561 acres (1,009.94 km2)
Congaree National Park South Carolina 2003 26,275.82 acres (106.3345 km2)
Crater Lake National Park Oregon 1902 183,224.05 acres (741.4814 km2)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ohio 2000 32,831.18 acres (132.8631 km2)
Death Valley National Park California, Nevada 1994 3,373,062.74 acres (13,650.3006 km2)
Denali National Park and Preserve 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 1,400,539.3 acres (5,667.781 km2)
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 7,523,897.45 acres (30,448.1327 km2)
Glacier National Park (part of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) Montana 1910 1,013,322.17 acres (4,100.7693 km2)
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 3,223,383.43 acres (13,044.5699 km2)
Grand Canyon National Park Arizona 1919 1,217,191.35 acres (4,925.7986 km2)
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming 1929 310,044.22 acres (1,254.7044 km2)
Great Basin National Park Nevada 1986 77,180 acres (312.3 km2)
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado 2004 94,687.84 acres (383.1881 km2)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina, Tennessee 1934 522,426.88 acres (2,114.1866 km2)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Texas 1966 86,367.1 acres (349.515 km2)
Haleakala National Park Hawaii 1916 33,264.62 acres (134.6171 km2)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii 1916 323,431.38 acres (1,308.8804 km2)
Hot Springs National Park Arkansas 1921 5,549.26 acres (22.4571 km2)
Isle Royale National Park Michigan 1940 571,790.11 acres (2,313.9525 km2)
Joshua Tree National Park California 1994 790,635.74 acres (3,199.5893 km2)
Katmai National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 3,674,368.02 acres (14,869.6398 km2)
Kenai Fjords National Park Alaska 1980 669,983.65 acres (2,711.3276 km2)
Kings Canyon National Park California 1940 461,901.2 acres (1,869.248 km2)
Kobuk Valley National Park Alaska 1980 1,750,716.16 acres (7,084.8969 km2)
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 2,619,712.56 acres (10,601.6006 km2)
Lassen Volcanic National Park California 1916 106,452.33 acres (430.7973 km2)
Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky 1941 52,830.19 acres (213.7962 km2)
Mesa Verde National Park Colorado 1906 52,485.17 acres (212.3999 km2)
Mount Rainier National Park Washington 1899 236,381.49 acres (956.6020 km2)
North Cascades National Park Washington 1968 504,780.94 acres (2,042.7760 km2)
Olympic National Park Washington 1938 922,650.1 acres (3,733.832 km2)
Petrified Forest National Park Arizona 1962 221,414.59 acres (896.0331 km2)
Pinnacles National Park California 2013 26,605.73 acres (107.6696 km2)
Redwood National and State Parks California 1968 138,885.46 acres (562.0495 km2)
Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado 1915 265,795.2 acres (1,075.635 km2)
Saguaro National Park Arizona 1994 91,442.42 acres (370.0543 km2)
Sequoia National Park California 1890 404,062.63 acres (1,635.1834 km2)
Shenandoah National Park Virginia 1935 199,116.92 acres (805.7976 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota 1978 70,446.89 acres (285.0884 km2)
Virgin Islands National Park U.S. Virgin Islands 1956 14,944.84 acres (60.4796 km2)
Voyageurs National Park Minnesota 1975 218,200.15 acres (883.0247 km2)
Wind Cave National Park South Dakota 1903 33,847.08 acres (136.9743 km2)
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 8,323,146.5 acres (33,682.579 km2)
Yellowstone National Park Idaho, Montana, Wyoming 1872 2,219,790.71 acres (8,983.1743 km2)
Yosemite National Park California 1890 761,267.5 acres (3,080.740 km2)
Zion National Park Utah 1919 147,237.02 acres (595.8471 km2)

Disbanded national parks

Arch Rock Mackinac Island
Arch Rock in Mackinac Island State Park, formerly Mackinac National Park
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 Redesignated as Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Sullys Hill National Park April 27, 1904 March 3, 1931 Transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; now operated as Sullys Hill National Game Preserve

National monuments

Canyon de Chelly Spider Rock
Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly

As of 2017, there are 129 U.S. national monuments, 88 of which are administered by the NPS and are listed below. The remaining 40 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 BLM, and World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument is joint with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

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 acres (555.13 km2)
Aztec Ruins National Monument New Mexico 318.4 acres (1.289 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
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)
Canyon de Chelly National Monument Arizona 83,840 acres (339.3 km2)
Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Archeological District Alaska 649,124.53 acres (2,626.9138 km2)
Capulin Volcano National Monument New Mexico 792.84 acres (3.2085 km2)
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Arizona 472.5 acres (1.912 km2)
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Florida 19.38 acres (0.0784 km2)
Castle Clinton National Monument New York 1 acre (0.0040 km2)
Castle Mountains National Monument California 20,920 acres (84.7 km2)
Cedar Breaks National Monument Utah 6,154.6 acres (24.907 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 11,984.73 acres (48.5005 km2)
Colorado National Monument Colorado 20,536.39 acres (83.1078 km2)
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Idaho 53,571.05 acres (216.7943 km2)
Devils Postpile National Monument California 798.46 acres (3.2313 km2)
Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming 1,346.91 acres (5.4508 km2)
Dinosaur National Monument Utah / Colorado 210,283.31 acres (850.9864 km2)
Effigy Mounds National Monument Iowa 2,526.39 acres (10.2239 km2)
El Malpais National Monument New Mexico 114,313.87 acres (462.6118 km2)
El Morro National Monument New Mexico 1,278.72 acres (5.1748 km2)
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Colorado 5,998.09 acres (24.2734 km2)
Fort Frederica National Monument Georgia 284.49 acres (1.1513 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 325.2 acres (1.316 km2)
Fort Pulaski National Monument Georgia 5,623.1 acres (22.756 km2)
Fort Stanwix National Monument New York 15.52 acres (0.0628 km2)
Fort Sumter National Monument South Carolina 234.74 acres (0.9500 km2)
Fort Union National Monument New Mexico 720.6 acres (2.916 km2)
Fossil Butte National Monument Wyoming 8,198 acres (33.18 km2)
Freedom Riders National Monument Alabama
George Washington Birthplace National Monument Virginia 661.73 acres (2.6779 km2)
George Washington Carver National Monument Missouri 210 acres (0.85 km2)
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument New Mexico 533.13 acres (2.1575 km2)
Governors Island National Monument New York 22.78 acres (0.0922 km2)
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument 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 acres (6.8 km2)
Homestead National Monument of America Nebraska 211.09 acres (0.8543 km2)
Honouliuli National Monument Hawaii 123 acres (0.50 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 14,062.02 acres (56.9070 km2)
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Maine 87,500 acres (354 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)
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 acres (1.5 km2)
Ocmulgee National Monument Georgia 701.54 acres (2.8390 km2)
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Oregon 4,487.98 acres (18.1622 km2)
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona 330,688.86 acres (1,338.2503 km2)
Petroglyph National Monument New Mexico 7,209.3 acres (29.175 km2)
Pipe Spring National Monument Arizona 40 acres (0.16 km2)
Pipestone National Monument Minnesota 281.78 acres (1.1403 km2)
Poverty Point National Monument Louisiana 910.85 acres (3.6861 km2)
Pullman National Monument Illinois 300 acres (1.2 km2)
Rainbow Bridge National Monument Utah 160 acres (0.65 km2)
Reconstruction Era National Monument South Carolina
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 3,004.81 acres (12.1600 km2)
Statue of Liberty National Monument New York and New Jersey 60.86 acres (0.2463 km2)
Stonewall National Monument New York 7.7 acres (0.031 km2)
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Arizona 3,040 acres (12.3 km2)
Timpanogos Cave National Monument Utah 250 acres (1.0 km2)
Tonto National Monument Arizona 1,120 acres (4.5 km2)
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Nevada 22,650 acres (91.7 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 5 acres (0.020 km2)
Walnut Canyon National Monument Arizona 3,529.26 acres (14.2824 km2)
White Sands National Monument New Mexico 143,733.25 acres (581.6678 km2)
World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Hawaii, California, Alaska 59.03 acres (0.2389 km2)
Wupatki National Monument Arizona 35,422.13 acres (143.3483 km2)
Yucca House National Monument Colorado 33.87 acres (0.1371 km2)

Former national monuments

Name Established Disbanded Result
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.
Papago Saguaro National Monument January 31, 1914 April 7, 1930 Transferred to Arizona; now jointly operated by the cities of Phoenix and Tempe
Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument May 11, 1908 August 24, 1937 Transferred to Montana; now operated as a state 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
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument March 25, 2013 December 19, 2014 Incorporated into Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical 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
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
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
Fossil Cycad National Monument October 21, 1922 August 1, 1956 Transferred to Bureau of Land Management because of severe vandalism to the site
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
Petrified Forest National Monument December 8, 1906 December 9, 1962 Incorporated into Petrified Forest National Park
Lehman Caves National Monument June 10, 1933 October 27, 1986 Incorporated into Great Basin National Park
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

National preserves

There are 20 national preserves.

Name Location
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve Alaska
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Alaska
Big Cypress National Preserve Florida
Big Thicket National Preserve Texas
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Idaho
Denali National Park and Preserve Alaska
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Alaska
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado
Katmai National Park and Preserve Alaska
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Alaska
Little River Canyon National Preserve Alabama
Mojave National Preserve California
Noatak National Preserve Alaska
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Oregon
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Kansas
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Florida
Valles Caldera National Preserve New Mexico
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Alaska
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Alaska

National historical parks

Independence Hall belltower
The bell tower atop Independence Hall, formerly home to the Liberty Bell (Independence National Historical Park)

There are 51 national historical parks.

Name Location
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Kentucky
Adams National Historical Park Massachusetts
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Virginia
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Boston National Historical Park Massachusetts
Cane River Creole National Historical Park Louisiana
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Virginia
Chaco Culture National Historical Park New Mexico
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia
Colonial National Historical Park Virginia
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Ohio
First State National Historical Park Delaware, Pennsylvania
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Indiana
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park New York
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Maryland
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Ohio
Independence National Historical Park Pennsylvania
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
  • Chalmette National Cemetery
Louisiana
Kalaupapa National Historical Park Hawaii
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park Hawaii
Keweenaw National Historical Park Michigan
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (part of Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park) Alaska, Washington
Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks Oregon, Washington
Lowell National Historical Park Massachusetts
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park Texas
Manhattan Project National Historical Park New Mexico, Tennessee, Washington
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Vermont
Minute Man National Historical Park Massachusetts
Morristown National Historical Park New Jersey
Natchez National Historical Park Mississippi
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Massachusetts
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park Louisiana
Nez Perce National Historical Park Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Texas
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park New Jersey
Pecos National Historical Park New Mexico
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Hawaii
Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park California
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve U.S. Virgin Islands
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Texas
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park California
San Juan Island National Historical Park Washington
Saratoga National Historical Park New York
Sitka National Historical Park Alaska
Thomas Edison National Historical Park New Jersey
Tumacácori National Historical Park Arizona
Valley Forge National Historical Park Pennsylvania
War in the Pacific National Historical Park Guam
Women's Rights National Historical Park New York

Authorized national historical parks

Name Status
Coltsville National Historical Park Connecticut (pending acquisition of property)

National historic sites

The National Park Service administers the national historic sites, with the exception of Grey Towers National Historic Site (managed by the U.S. Forest Service) and Fort Craig National Historic Site (managed by the Bureau of Land Management).

There are 89 national historic sites, of which 78 are NPS units and 11 are affiliated areas.

Name Location
Aleutian World War II National Historic Area (affiliated area) Alaska
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Andersonville National Historic Site Georgia
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
  • Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
Tennessee
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Colorado
Boston African American National Historic Site Massachusetts
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Kansas
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site North Carolina
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Washington, D.C.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site South Carolina
Chicago Portage National Historic Site (affiliated area) Illinois
Chimney Rock National Historic Site (affiliated area) Nebraska
Christiansted National Historic Site U.S. Virgin Islands
Clara Barton National Historic Site Maryland
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Eisenhower National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site New York
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site California
Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site (affiliated area) Ohio
First Ladies National Historic Site Ohio
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site Washington, D.C.
Fort Bowie National Historic Site Arizona
Fort Davis National Historic Site Texas
Fort Laramie National Historic Site Wyoming
Fort Larned National Historic Site Kansas
Fort Point National Historic Site California
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site North Carolina
Fort Scott National Historic Site Kansas
Fort Smith National Historic Site Arkansas, Oklahoma
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site North Dakota
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Washington, Oregon
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Washington, D.C.
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site Massachusetts
Friendship Hill National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site (affiliated area) Pennsylvania
Golden Spike National Historic Site Utah
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site Montana
Hampton National Historic Site Maryland
Harry S Truman National Historic Site Missouri
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Iowa
Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site (affiliated area) South Carolina
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site New York
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Arizona
James A. Garfield National Historic Site Ohio
Jamestown National Historic Site (affiliated area) Virginia
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Georgia
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site Massachusetts
John Muir National Historic Site California
Kate Mullany National Historic Site (affiliated area) New York
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site North Dakota
Lincoln Home National Historic Site Illinois
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Arkansas
Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Massachusetts
Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site (affiliated area) New York
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site Virginia
Manzanar National Historic Site California
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site Georgia
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site New York
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site Washington, D.C.
Minidoka National Historic Site Idaho
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site South Dakota
Nicodemus National Historic Site Kansas
Ninety Six National Historic Site South Carolina
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site Washington, D.C.
President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site Arkansas
Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site Hawaii
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site New York
Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site New York
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site New Hampshire
Salem Maritime National Historic Site Massachusetts
San Juan National Historic Site Puerto Rico
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Colorado
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site Massachusetts
Springfield Armory National Historic Site Massachusetts
Steamtown National Historic Site Pennsylvania
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site New York
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site New York
Thomas Cole National Historic Site (affiliated area) New York
Thomas Stone National Historic Site Maryland
Touro Synagogue National Historic Site (affiliated area) Rhode Island
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Alabama
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site Alabama
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site Missouri
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site New York
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Oklahoma
Weir Farm National Historic Site Connecticut
Whitman Mission National Historic Site Washington
William Howard Taft National Historic Site Ohio

Disbanded national historic sites

Name Established Disbanded Result
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 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 Virgin Islands; currently operated as a Virgin Islands territorial park

Authorized national historic sites

Name Status
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site Pending acquisition of property

International historic site

Name Location
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Maine/New Brunswick

National battlefield parks

Malvern Hill, Civil War Battlefield, RIchmond National Battlefield - Stierch
Malvern Hill, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia
Name Location
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Georgia
Manassas National Battlefield Park Virginia
Richmond National Battlefield Park Virginia
River Raisin National Battlefield Park Michigan

National military parks

Name Location
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Georgia, Tennessee
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park Virginia
Gettysburg National Military Park Pennsylvania
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park North Carolina
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Alabama
Kings Mountain National Military Park South Carolina
Pea Ridge National Military Park Arkansas
Shiloh National Military Park Tennessee, Mississippi
Vicksburg National Military Park Mississippi, Louisiana

Disbanded 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
Antietam National Battlefield Maryland
Big Hole National Battlefield Montana
Cowpens National Battlefield South Carolina
Fort Donelson National Battlefield Tennessee, Kentucky
Fort Necessity National Battlefield Pennsylvania
Monocacy National Battlefield Maryland
Moores Creek National Battlefield North Carolina
Petersburg National Battlefield
  • Poplar Grove National Cemetery
Virginia
Stones River National Battlefield Tennessee
Tupelo National Battlefield Mississippi
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Missouri

National battlefield site

Name Location
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site Mississippi

Disbanded 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 30 national memorials that are NPS units and five affiliated national memorials.

Name Location Area
American Memorial Park (affiliated area) Northern Mariana Islands
Arkansas Post National Memorial Arkansas 757.51 acres (3.0655 km2)
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial Virginia 28.08 acres (0.1136 km2)
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial (affiliated area) Pennsylvania
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 acres (0.12 km2)
Father Marquette National Memorial (affiliated area) Michigan
Federal Hall National Memorial New York 0.45 acres (0.0018 km2)
Flight 93 National Memorial Pennsylvania 2,319.96 acres (9.3885 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 .76 acres (0.0031 km2)
Hamilton Grange National Memorial New York 1.04 acres (0.0042 km2)
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Missouri 192.83 acres (0.7804 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 199.65 acres (0.8080 km2)
Lincoln Memorial Washington, D.C. 7.29 acres (0.0295 km2)
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac Washington, D.C. 17 acres (0.069 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
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
Roger Williams National Memorial Rhode Island 4.56 acres (0.0185 km2)
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Pennsylvania .02 acres (8.1×10−5 km2)
Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial Washington, D.C. 88.5 acres (0.358 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. 1.76 acres (0.0071 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)

Disbanded 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
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
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Authorized by Public Law 107-117
National Desert Storm/Desert Shield Memorial Authorized by National Defense Authorization Act 2015

National recreation areas

Lake Mead 1
Lake Mead National Recreation Area

There are 18 national recreation areas administered by the National Park Service.

Name Location
Amistad National Recreation Area Texas
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Montana, Wyoming
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Massachusetts
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Georgia
Chickasaw National Recreation Area Oklahoma
Curecanti National Recreation Area Colorado
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Gateway National Recreation Area New York, New Jersey
Gauley River National Recreation Area West Virginia
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Utah, Arizona
Golden Gate National Recreation Area California
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area Washington
Lake Mead National Recreation Area Nevada, Arizona
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Texas
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Washington
Ross Lake National Recreation Area Washington
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area California
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area California

Disestablished or transferred national recreation areas

Name Established Disbanded Result
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area December 27, 1974 October 11, 2000 Redesignated as Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Shasta Lake Recreation Area May 22, 1945 July 1, 1948 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
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area July 22, 1963 October 1, 1968 Transferred to U.S. Forest Service
Shadow Mountain National Recreation Area June 27, 1952 March 1, 1979 Transferred to U.S. Forest Service

National seashores

There are 10 national seashores.

Name Location
Assateague Island National Seashore Maryland, Virginia
Canaveral National Seashore Florida
Cape Cod National Seashore Massachusetts
Cape Hatteras National Seashore North Carolina
Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina
Cumberland Island National Seashore Georgia
Fire Island National Seashore New York
Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida, Mississippi
Padre Island National Seashore Texas
Point Reyes National Seashore California

National lakeshores

There are four national lakeshores, located in Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Name Location
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wisconsin
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Indiana
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Michigan

National rivers

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

There are 5 national rivers and 10 national wild and scenic rivers administered as distinct units of the National Park System.

Name Location
Alagnak Wild and Scenic River Alaska
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Kentucky, Tennessee
Bluestone National Scenic River West Virginia
Buffalo National River Arkansas
Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River New Jersey
Middle Delaware National Scenic River New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Minnesota
Missouri National Recreational River Nebraska, South Dakota
New River Gorge National River West Virginia
Niobrara National Scenic River Nebraska
Obed Wild and Scenic River Tennessee
Ozark National Scenic Riverways Missouri
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River Texas
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Wisconsin, Minnesota
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River New York, Pennsylvania

National reserves

Name Location
City of Rocks National Reserve Idaho
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve Washington
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve (affiliated area) New Jersey

National parkways

Blueridgeparkwaylookingglassrock
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia / North Carolina
Name Location
Baltimore-Washington Parkway (affiliated area) Maryland, Washington, D.C.
Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia, North Carolina
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.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Wyoming
Natchez Trace Parkway Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee
Oxon Run Parkway (affiliated area) Washington, D.C.
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway (affiliated area) Washington, D.C.
Suitland Parkway (affiliated area) Maryland

National historic and scenic trails

These National Park Service trails are part of the larger National Trails System. Only three of the trails are considered official units of the park system.

Name Location
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail Hawaii
Appalachian Trail (one of the 417 official units) Maine - Georgia
California National Historic Trail Missouri - California
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Delaware - District of Columbia - Maryland - Virginia
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 Wisconsin
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 (one of the 417 official units) Mississippi - Tennessee
New England National Scenic Trail Connecticut - Massachusetts
North Country National Scenic Trail New York - North Dakota
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 (one of the 417 official units) Virginia - Maryland - Pennsylvania - Washington, D.C.
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.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Áreas protegidas de Estados Unidos para niños

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