Florida, Arizona, and Washington boast three national parks each, while Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas are proud owners of two.
There's a total of 63 national parks in the United States. One might assume the parks would cover most of the country—but that's not the case! While there are dozens of parks, they only exist in a little more than half of the country's states. There are still 20 states that don't have a national park.
Biggest of Them AllThe uncontested heavyweight champion of the National Park System is Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve. At 13.2 million acres, it's larger than Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined.
Alaska is the state with the highest percent of its area protected. Over a third of U.S. protected lands are federally protected wilderness areas, a network of over 170,000 square miles larger than California. WASH. MONT.
The New River Gorge was given National Park Service protection in 1978 as a national river, and was expanded to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve — this country's newest national park — in the plague year of 2020 courtesy of legislation drafted by Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito.
1. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska: America's least-visited national park contains no roads or trails. It's a true wilderness experience.
American Samoa National Park – South PacificWhile not located in the United States, the US territories of American Samoa National Park are arguably the most remote.
The largest national park is Wrangell–St. Elias in Alaska: at over 8 million acres (32,375 km2), it is larger than each of the nine smallest states. The next three largest parks are also in Alaska.
Planning a Visit? Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the colorful North Dakota badlands is a great place for hiking, camping, and sightseeing. Theodore Roosevelt first fell in love with the rugged landscape of the American West while hunting bison in North Dakota in 1883.
Get closer to America's Oldest State Park at Niagara Falls State Park! Find out for yourself why millions of visitors are drawn to this magnificent natural wonder every year.