How Many National Parks are there in the USA?

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There are an incredible 63 National Parks in the USA.

The lower 48 contiguous states have 51 parks, whilst you’ll find 2 in Hawaii and 8 in Alaska and American overseas territories are home to another 2, bringing us to a grand total of 63.

In total, however, you’ll find 423 national park sites spanning the USA and its overseas territories, covering over 84 million acres, historical battlegrounds to the most unique and diverse nature landscapes.

So, how do you incorporate them into your family road trip plans? Let’s examine each state, and we’ll connect you to one of our road trip itineraries and destination guides.

List of National Parks in the United States

^ = A UNESCO World Heritage Site (14)

~ = A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (21)

! = Beware of seasonal timed entry/permits required Learn more here

PV = per vehicle

PP = per person

Alaska (8)

Denali National Park~ ($15pp/7 days)
Arctic National Park (No Fee)
Glacier Bay National Park^~ (No Fee)
Katmai National Park (No Fee)
Kenai Fjords National Park (No Fee)
Kobuk Valley National Park (No Fee)
Lake Clark National Park (No Fee)
Wrangell-St Elias National Park (largest!)^

We explore Alaska’s National Parks in more detail in this guide

American Samoa (1)

National Park of American Samoa (No Fee)

Arizona (3)

Grand Canyon National Park ^ ($35pv/7 days)
Petrified Forest National Park ($35pv/7 days)
Saguaro National Park ($25pv/7 days)

Arkansas (1)

Hot Springs National Park (No Fee)

California (9)

Channel Islands National Park~ (No Fee)
Death Valley National Park~ (partially Nevada) ($30pv/7 days)
Joshua Tree National Park~ ($30pv/7 days)
Kings Canyon National Park~ ($35pv/7 days)
Lassen Volcanic National Park ($30pv/7 days)
Pinnacles National Park ($30pv/7 days)
Redwood National Park^ (No Fee)
Sequoia National Park~ ($35pv/7 days)
Yosemite National Park^! ($35pv/7 days)

Follow our 3-week road trip itinerary for visiting all the California national parks

Colorado (4)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park ($30pv/7 days)
Great Sand Dunes National Park ($25pv/7 days)
Mesa Verde National Park^ ($30pv/7 days; winter $20pv/7 days)
Rocky Mountains National Park~! ($30pv/1 day)

Florida (3)

Biscayne National Park (No Fee)
Dry Tortugas National Park~ ($15pp)
Everglades National Park^~ ($35pv/7-days)

Hawaii (2)

Haleakala National Park ~! ($30pv/7 days)
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park ^~ ($30pv/7 days)

Idaho

Yellowstone National Park (partial; see Wyoming)

Kentucky (1)

Mammoth Cave National Park^~ (No Fee)

Indiana (1)

Indiana Dunes National Park (No Fee)

Maine (1)

Acadia National Park! ($35pv/7 days)

Michigan (1)

Isle Royale National Park~ ($7pp)

Minnesota (1)

Voyagers National Park (No Fee)

Missouri (1)

Gateway Arch National Park! ($3pp)

Montana (1)

Glacier National Park^~! ($35pv/7 days)
Yellowstone National Park (*partial, see Wyoming)

Nevada (1)

Great Basin National Park (No Fee)
Death Valley National Park (partial – see California)

New Mexico (2)

Carlsbad Caverns National Park ^! ($15pp)
White Sands National Park ($25pv/7 days)

North Dakota (1)

Theodore Roosevelt National Park ($30pv/7 days)

North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (partial – see Tennessee)

Ohio (1)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (No Fee)

Oregon (1)

Crater Lake National Park (Summer $30pv/7 days; Winter $20pv/7 days)

South Carolina (1)

Congaree National Park~ (No Fee)

South Dakota (2)

Badlands National Park ($30pv/7 days)
Wind Cave National Park (No Fee)

Tennessee (1)

Great Smoky Mountain National Park^~ (No Fee)

Explore every east coast national park on a sensational east coast family road trip.

Texas (2)

Big Bend National Park ~ ($30pv/7 days)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park ($10pv/7 days)

Utah (5)

Arches National Park! ($30pv/7 days + timed permit summer $2)
Bryce Canyon National Park ($35pv/7 days)
Canyonlands National Park ($30pv/7 days)
Capitol Reef National Park ($20pv/7 days)
Zion National Park! ($35pv/7 days)

Virgin Islands (1)

Virgin Islands National Park (No Fee)

Virginia (1)

Shenandoah National Park! ($30pv/7 days)

Washington (3)

Mount Rainier National Park! ($30pv/7 days)
North Cascades National Park (No Fee)
Olympic National Park^~ ($30pv/7 days)

West Virginia (1)

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (No Fee)

Wyoming (2)

Grand Teton National Park~ ($35pv/7 days)
Yellowstone National Park (partially in Idaho and Montana)^~ ($35pv/7 days)

Which USA States Don’t Have National Parks?

Certainly not lacking in their own natural beauty, but the following states do not have any designated National Parks (many do, however, have national monuments):

What about National Monuments in the USA?

National Monuments are equally exciting to seek out on a road trip around the United States. They are protected for their historical or archaeological significance.

Every state has either a National Park or a National Monument, except poor old Delaware! As just a brief summary of other National Sites in the USA, there are:

11 National Battlefields
60 National Historical Parks
76 National Historic Sites
1 International Historic Site
3 National Lakeshores
31 National Memorials
85 National Monuments
4 National Parkways
19 National Preserves
2 National Reserves
18 National Recreation Areas
4 National Rivers
3 National Scenic Trails
10 National Seashores
10 National Wild and Scenic Rivers and Riverways
plus 11 other designations, including the White House!

This is what brings us to 400+ National Parks sites across the United States!

National Park Annual Passes

A National Park Annual pass is essential if you plan to visit three or more national parks within a 12-month. The main ones you need to be aware of are:

America The Beautiful $80 annually. This is the most common card that most will invest in. It’s available to purchase online and at most national park visitor centers. It costs the same for US citizens and overseas visitors. (NB, most parks allow all adults ‘in a standard vehicle’ entry; if a park charges per person, it will admit up to 4 adults; your kids under 16 are free)
Senior Annual Pass ($20) or Senior Lifetime Pass ($80) – available to US Residents over the age of 62
Military Passes – Annual and Lifetime passes are available FREE for US Veterans, US Military and their dependents
4th Grader Pass – FREE for Children who attend US schools in the 4th Grade – explained here

Free Entrance Days in 2025

On free entrance days, queues can be incredibly long, so you need to be organized and arrive early (or avoid these days if you already have a pass or want to enjoy your national parks with fewer crowds!). Keep in your diary: