NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Glimpses of our National Parks 		NPS Logo

THE NATIONAL PARKS AT A GLANCE.
[Number, 19; total area, 10,859 square miles.]

National parks in order of creation. Location. Area in
square
miles.		 Distinctive characteristics.
Hot Springs
     1832		Middle Arkansas1-1/2 46 hot springs possessing curative properties—20 bathhouses under public control.
Yellowstone
     1872		Northwestern Wyoming.3,348 More geysers than in all rest of world together—Boiling springs—Mud volcanoes—Petrified forests—Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, remarkable for gorgeous coloring—Large lakes—Many large streams and waterfalls—Vast wilderness, greatest wild bird and animal preserve in world—Exceptional trout fishing.
Sequoia
     1890		Middle eastern California.252 The Big Tree National Park—12,000 sequoia trees over 10 feet in diameter, some 25 to 36 feet in diameter—Towering mountain ranges—Spectacular limestone cave.
Yosemite
     1890		Middle eastern California.1,125 Valley of world-famed beauty—Lofty cliffs—Romantic vistas—Many waterfalls of extraordinary height—3 groves of big trees—High Sierra—Waterwheel falls—Good trout fishing.
General Grant
     1890		Middle eastern California.4 Created to preserve the celebrated General Grant Tree, 35 feet in diameter—6 miles from Sequoia National Park.
Mount Rainier
     1899		West central Washington.324 Largest accessible single peak glacier system—28 glaciers, some of large size—48 square miles of glacier, 50 to 100 feet thick—Wonderful sub-Alpine wild flower fields.
Crater Lake
     1902		Southwestern Oregon.249 Lake of extraordinary blue in crater of extinct volcano—Sides 1,000 feet high—Interesting lava, formations—Fine fishing.
Wind Cave
     1903		South Dakota16 Cavern having many miles of galleries and numerous chambers containing peculiar formations.
Platt
     1904		Southern Oklahoma1-1/3 Many sulphur and other springs possessing medicinal value.
Sullys Hill
     1904		North Dakota1-1/4 Small rugged hill containing prehistoric ruins—Practically a local park.
Mesa Verde
     1906		Southwestern Colorado77 Most notable and best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in United States, if not in the world.
Glacier
     1910		Northwestern Montana1,534 Rugged mountain region of unsurpassed Alpine character—200 glacier-fed lakes of romantic beauty—60 small glaciers—Precipices thousands of feet deep—Sensational scenery.
Rocky Mountain
     1915		North middle Colorado398 Heart of the Rockies—Snowy range, peaks 11,000 to 14.200 feet altitude—Remarkable records of glacial period.
Hawaii
     1916		Hawaii118 Three separate areas—Kilauea and Manna Loa on Hawaii; Haleakala on Maui.
Lassen Volcanic
     1910		Northern California124 Only active volcano in United States proper—Lassen Peak 10,465 feet—Cinder Cone 6,879 feet—Hot springs—Mud geysers.
Mount McKinley
     1917		South central Alaska2,200 Highest mountain in North America—Rises higher above surrounding country than any other mountain in the world.
Grand Canyon
     1919		North central Arizona958 The greatest example of erosion and the most sublime spectacle in the world.
Lafayette
     1919		Maine coast8 The group of granite mountains on Mount Desert Island.
Zion
     1919		Southwestern Utah120 Magnificent gorge (Zion Canyon), depth from 800 to 2,000 feet, with precipitous walls. Of great beauty and scenic interest.

19 national parks, containing 10,859 square miles or 6,949,750 acres; 24 national monuments, containing 1,815 square miles or 1,161,600 acres. Administered by the National Park Service. (click on image for a PDF version)

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Last Updated: 30-Oct-2009