National Parks by State 2022

A national park is a scenic or historically important area of land protected by the federal government to preserve wildlife living there or for the enjoyment of the general public. Because the government protects national parks, exploitation of the natural resources contained in them is illegal.

The United States has 61 national parks in 29 different states. The state with the highest number of national parks is California, with nine. Unsurprisingly, California is considered the most beautiful U.S. state. Alaska follows with eight.

The first national park in the United States was Yellowstone, which was signed to its status in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant. The newest national park is Indiana Dunes, which changed its name to a “national park” on February 15, 2019.

The largest national park in the United States is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Wrangell-St. Elias is 13.2 million acres, roughly six times larger than Yellowstone National Park. Wrangell-St. Elias is home to some of the highest mountains in North America and the largest glacial system in the United States.

The most-visited national park in the United States is Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was made a national park by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 and sees over 11 million people per year.

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most well-known national parks in the world. Located in Arizona, this canyon was formed over millions of years and covered 1.2 million acres, making it the largest in existence. It is also considered to be one of the Seven Naturals Wonders of the World. The Grand Canyon became a national park on February 26, 1919, and celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.