NATIONAL PARKS
National Parks
From famous parks and scenic drives to unforgettable landscapes, this National Parks travel guide pulls together everything you need to plan your trip confidently.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Theodore roosevelt
Before You Go basics
park fees & passes
Most national parks charge an entrance fee. The America the Beautiful Pass provides access to all U.S. national parks and federal recreation areas for one year and is a great value if visiting multiple parks.
transportation
A car is usually necessary to reach and explore most national parks. Some parks offer seasonal shuttle systems to reduce traffic and congestion
connectivity
Cell service and Wi-Fi can be limited or unavailable in many parks. Download maps and information before arriving.
leave no trace
Help protect these special places by following Leave No Trace principles: pack out what you bring in, stay on marked trails, respect wildlife, and leave natural areas as you found them for future visitors.
There are 425 national park units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. This includes parks designated as national parks, national monuments, national preserves, national recreation areas, national battlefields, national historic parks, national historic sites, national memorials, national cemeteries, national seashores, national lakeshores, national rivers and national parkways.
Additionally, some parks like the White House, that have unique titles (and sometimes no titles) and special designations. Out of the 425 units, 63 are national parks. The map above shows all the park units designated as national parks in the United States with the exception of American Samoa.
For a full list of all national parks in every state and a simple national park printable checklist, read my Complete List of National Parks article. Click the photos below for more info about named national parks and other articles on the blog. Please note: even though I’m on a quest to visit all of the national parks, I haven’t been to all of them yet, so this page is a work in progress.
USA National Parks Map
National Park Travel Guides
