As of 01-29-2004, there are 58 national parks, 76 national monuments, 20 national preserved, and 45 historical park, and 87 historic sites, and more national military parks, national parkways, etc. The total number is 391 covering more than 84 million acres according to http://nps.gov.
Complete list of US national parks[WP]
Acadia National Park Maine 1919 National Park of American Samoa American Samoa 1988 Arches National Park Utah 1971 Badlands National Park South Dakota 1978 Big Bend National Park Texas 1944 Biscayne National Park Florida 1980 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado 1999 Bryce Canyon National Park Utah 1928 Canyonlands National Park Utah 1964 Capitol Reef National Park Utah 1971 Carlsbad Caverns National Park New Mexico 1930 Channel Islands National Park California 1980 Congaree National Park South Carolina 2003 Crater Lake National Park Oregon 1902 Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ohio 2000 Death Valley National Park California, Nevada 1994 Denali National Park and Preserve Alaska 1917 Dry Tortugas National Park Florida 1992 Everglades National Park Florida 1947 Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 Glacier National Park (part of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) Montana 1910 Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 Grand Canyon National Park Arizona 1919 Grand Teton National Park Wyoming 1929 Great Basin National Park Nevada 1986 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Colorado 2004 Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina, Tennessee 1934 Guadalupe Mountains National Park Texas 1966 Haleakala National Park Hawaii 1916 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii 1916 Hot Springs National Park Arkansas 1921 Isle Royale National Park Michigan 1940 Joshua Tree National Park California 1994 Katmai National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 Kenai Fjords National Park Alaska 1980 Kings Canyon National Park California 1940 Kobuk Valley National Park Alaska 1980 Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 Lassen Volcanic National Park California 1916 Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky 1941 Mesa Verde National Park Colorado 1906 Mount Rainier National Park Washington 1899 North Cascades National Park Washington 1968 Olympic National Park Washington 1938 Petrified Forest National Park Arizona 1962 Redwood National and State Parks California 1968 Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado 1915 Saguaro National Park Arizona 1994 Sequoia National Park California 1890 Shenandoah National Park Virginia 1935 Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota 1978 Virgin Islands National Park U.S. Virgin Islands 1956 Voyageurs National Park Minnesota 1975 Wind Cave National Park South Dakota 1903 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Alaska 1980 Yellowstone National Park Idaho, Montana, Wyoming 1872 Yosemite National Park California 1890 Zion National Park Utah 1919
2 Death Valley National Park Best time to watch wild flowers is late March or early April. http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_dv.html The 2005 bloom http://www.danheller.com/death-valley.html http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/wildflowers.htm http://www.lvrj.com/living/40499207.html 3 Glacier National Park Best time to visit Glacier is during summer, or July to be more specific. The whole going-to-the-sun Rd is not open until late July. If you only have one day, drive thru Going-to-the-sun Rd. This road extends about 50 miles from Apgar Village in Glacier NP to highway 89, usually it take about 2 hours non-stop. After that, the canadian border is about 32 miles (20 minutes) up north. Best things in this NP: abundant wild life including grizzly bears and wolves, rugged landform created by massive glaciers. [PT] 4 Kings Canyon NP hiking trails lodges 5 Mt Rainier National Park Best time during the year to visit is summer: July or August. 6 Olympic National Park Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB] Comments References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
Best time to watch wild flowers is late March or early April.
3 Glacier National Park Best time to visit Glacier is during summer, or July to be more specific. The whole going-to-the-sun Rd is not open until late July. If you only have one day, drive thru Going-to-the-sun Rd. This road extends about 50 miles from Apgar Village in Glacier NP to highway 89, usually it take about 2 hours non-stop. After that, the canadian border is about 32 miles (20 minutes) up north. Best things in this NP: abundant wild life including grizzly bears and wolves, rugged landform created by massive glaciers. [PT] 4 Kings Canyon NP hiking trails lodges 5 Mt Rainier National Park Best time during the year to visit is summer: July or August. 6 Olympic National Park Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB] Comments References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
Best time to visit Glacier is during summer, or July to be more specific. The whole going-to-the-sun Rd is not open until late July. If you only have one day, drive thru Going-to-the-sun Rd. This road extends about 50 miles from Apgar Village in Glacier NP to highway 89, usually it take about 2 hours non-stop. After that, the canadian border is about 32 miles (20 minutes) up north. Best things in this NP: abundant wild life including grizzly bears and wolves, rugged landform created by massive glaciers. [PT]
4 Kings Canyon NP hiking trails lodges 5 Mt Rainier National Park Best time during the year to visit is summer: July or August. 6 Olympic National Park Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB] Comments References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
5 Mt Rainier National Park Best time during the year to visit is summer: July or August. 6 Olympic National Park Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB] Comments References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
Best time during the year to visit is summer: July or August.
6 Olympic National Park Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB] Comments References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
Best time to visit Olympic NP during the summer. The park is open during the winter, however, some road may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Olympic NP is unique in that it covers three different ecosystems: from wilderness beach along the coast, to rain forest, to 8000-foot high glacier mountains.[AB]
References[AB] http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/wanatlpark/a/waolympic.htm[PT] http://www.phototravel.com/glacier.htm[WP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System
