National Parks in the United States
The US has 63 national parks spread across 30 states and two territories, part of a larger 433-unit National Park System. Below: the essentials, from the first park established to the most visited today.
From Yellowstone to Today
Yellowstone, established in 1872, was the first national park in the US and the world. Since then the system has grown to 63 parks — the broader National Park Service also manages hundreds of monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas that aren't officially "national parks," bringing the total to 433 units.
California has the most national parks of any state with nine, followed by Alaska with eight and Utah with five. Twenty states have none at all.
Extremes
Alaska's Wrangell–St. Elias is the largest national park at over 8 million acres — bigger than nine individual US states. Arkansas's Hot Springs is the smallest, at roughly 5,500 acres.
National Parks in the United States — Quick Facts
- Total National Parks
- 63
- First Established
- Yellowstone, 1872
- Largest Park
- Wrangell–St. Elias, AK (~8.3M acres)
- Smallest Park
- Hot Springs, AR (~5,500 acres)
- Most Visited (recent years)
- Great Smoky Mountains
- State With Most Parks
- California (9)