National Parks | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Acadia | NP | SE Maine | 1919 | 48,419 (19,603) | Mountain and coast scenery. |
| American Samoa | NP | American Samoa | 1988 | 9,000 (3,645) | Two rain forest preserves and a coral reef. |
| Arches | NP | E Utah | 1929 | 76,519 (30,979) | Giant arches formed by erosion; designated a national park in 1971. |
| Badlands | NP | SW S.Dak. | 1929 | 242,756 (98,316) | Gullies, ridges, and other erosional landforms; fossils. See badlands Badlands National Park, 242,756 acres (98,316 hectares), (authorized as a national monument in 1929, designated a national park in 1978) occupies most of the region. The park is noted for its scenery, its fossils of prehistoric animals, and its varied wildlife, including bison, ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Big Bend | NP | W Tex. | 1935 | 801,163 (324,471) | Canyons and desert plain on the Rio Grande; Chisos Mts. Designated a national park in 1944. |
| Biscayne | NP | SE Fla. | 1968 | 172,924 (70,010) | Aquatic park encompassing 25 islands. Example of a living coral reef; includes part of Biscayne Bay Biscayne Bay (bĭskān`), shallow, narrow inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, c.40 mi (60 km) long, SE Fla. ..... Click the link for more information. . Enlarged and designated a national park in 1980. |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | NP | W Colo. | 1933 | 30,300 (12,272) | Deep, narrow canyon of the Gunnison Gunnison, river, 180 mi (290 km) long, rising in W central Colo. and flowing SW, W, and NW to the Colorado River at Grand Junction. It flows through magnificent canyons, notably the Black Canyon of the Gunnison , a national park. Gunnison Tunnel, c. ..... Click the link for more information. River, named for its dark-colored walls, which are always in shadow; designated a national park in 1999. |
| Bryce Canyon | NP | SW Utah | 1924 | 35,835 (14,513) | Canyon with colored walls and rock formations. |
| Canyonlands | NP | SE Utah | 1964 | 337,598 (136,679) | Rocks, spires, and mesas; Native American rock art and ruins. |
| Capitol Reef | NP | S Utah | 1937 | 241,904 (97,971) | Highly colored sandstone cliffs dissected by gorges; named for a white, dome-shaped rock. |
| Carlsbad Caverns | NP | SE N.Mex. | 1923 | 46,766 (18,940) | Great limestone caverns. Designated a national park in 1930. |
| Channel Islands | NP | SW Calif. | 1938 | 249,354 (100,988) | Part of the Santa Barbara Islands Santa Barbara Islands (săn`tə bär`brə, –bərə), or Channel Islands, ..... Click the link for more information. . Nesting sea birds, sea lions, and unique plants. |
| Crater Lake | NP | SW Oreg. | 1902 | 183,224 (74,206) | Blue lake in a volcanic crater. |
| Congaree | NP | Central S.C. | 1976 | 21,888 (8,862) | Last significant tract of southern bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. |
| Death Valley | NP | SE Calif., SW Nev. | 1933 | 3,367,628 (1,363,412) | Lowest point in Western Hemisphere; desert environment. |
| Denali | PP | S Alaska | 1917 | 6,075,690 (2,459,794) | Contains Mt. McKinley McKinley, Mount, peak, 20,320 ft (6,194 m) high, S central Alaska, in the Alaska Range; highest point in North America. Permanent snowfields cover more than half the mountain and feed numerous glaciers. Known locally as Denali ["the Great One"], Mt. ..... Click the link for more information. (Denali), North America's highest mountain; wildlife preserve. |
| Dry Tortugas | NP | S Fla. | 1935 | 64,701 (26,195) | Contains Fort Jefferson, the largest all-masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere, built 1846. See Dry Tortugas Dry Tortugas National Park (64,701 acres/26,195 hectares). The park caontains Fort Jefferson (1846), the largest all-masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere, which served as a prison until 1874. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Everglades | PE | S Fla. | 1934 | 1,508,580 (610,761) | Subtropical wilderness with prairies, mangroves, great variety of birds. See Everglades Everglades National Park and Expansion, (1,508,580 acres/610,761 hectares), est. 1947. Big Cypress National Preserve and Addition (est. 1974) adjoins it to the north. See National Parks and Monuments (table).
BibliographySee M. S. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Gates of the Arctic | PP | N Alaska | 1978 | 8,472,527 (3,430,173) | Vast wilderness within the Arctic Circle. |
| Glacier | NP | NW Mont. | 1910 | 1,013,572 (410,497) | Glaciers, forests, and lakes; on the Continental Divide. |
| Glacier Bay | PP | SE Alaska | 1925 | 3,283,246 (1,329,249) | Glaciers, ice displays. |
| Grand Canyon | NP | NW Ariz. | 1908 | 1,217,403 (492,876) | Great gorge of the Colorado River. See Grand Canyon Grand Canyon National Park (1,217,403 acres/492,876 hectares). The park was enlarged in 1975 to include other areas, such as Marble Canyon and parts of Glen Canyon and Lake Mead. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Grand Teton | NP | NW Wyo. | 1929 | 309,993 (125,503) | Scenic portion of the Teton Range; Jackson Hole. |
| Great Basin | NP | Nev. | 1986 | 77,180 (31,258) | Features Lehman Caves, an ice field on Wheeler Peak, ancient bristlecone pines, and a limestone arch. See Great Basin Great Basin National Park (77,180 acres/31,258 hectares) is located in the South Snake Range of E Nevada. It has exceptional scenic and geologic attractions, including Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak (the highest point in the park, with Nevada's only glacier and groves of bristlecone ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Great Sand Dunes | PP | S Colo. | 1932 | 84,670 (34,257) | Large, high sand dunes in the Sangre de Cristo Mts. |
| Great Smoky Mountains | NP | N.C., Tenn. | 1926 | 521,621 (211,183) | Wild, beautiful area in the Great Smoky Mountains Great Smoky Mountains National Park (521,621 acres/211,183 hectares) straddles the crest of the Great Smokies for 71 mi (114 km). The park includes c.600 mi (965 km) of trails through luxuriant forests (the Appalachian Trail follows the crest) and many streams and waterfalls. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Guadalupe Mountains | NP | W Tex. | 1966 | 86,416 (34,998) | Mountain region; contains a limestone fossil reef. |
| Haleakala | NP | Maui Island, Hawaii | 1916 | 29,824 (12,074) | Haleakala crater; rare and endangered species. |
| Hawaii Volcanoes | NP | Hawaii Island, Hawaii | 1916 | 209,695 (84,926) | Volcanic region; lush vegetation. |
| Hot Springs | NP | W central Ark. | 1921 | 5,549 (2,247) | Mineral springs. |
| Isle Royale | NP | NW Mich. | 1931 | 571,790 (231,575) | Forested island in Lake Superior. |
| Joshua Tree | NP | S Calif. | 1936 | 1,022,703 (414,050) | Rare Joshua trees, or "praying plants"; named by Mormons because of upstretched arms. |
| Katmai | PP | SE Alaska | 1918 | 4,093,229 (1,657,178) | Deep forest with lakes and active volcanoes. |
| Kenai Fjords | NP | S Alaska | 1978 | 669,983 (271,248) | Wilderness preserve, vast ice fields, fjords, and outflowing glaciers. |
| Kings Canyon | NP | E central Calif. | 1890 | 461,901 (187,070) | Canyons, peaks, sequoias. |
| Kobuk Valley | NP | NW Alaska | 1978 | 1,750,737 (709,048) | A wildlife preserve north of the Arctic Circle; archaeological remnants of 10,000 years of human habitation. |
| Lake Clark | PP | S Alaska | 1978 | 4,030,058 (1,631,602) | Waterfalls, tundra, and active volcanoes. |
| Lassen Volcanic | NP | N Calif. | 1907 | 106,372 (43,081) | Volcanic peaks and lava formations. |
| Mammoth Cave | NP | Central Ky. | 1926 | 52,830 (21,396) | Longest recorded cave system in the world. |
| Mesa Verde | NP | SW Colo. | 1906 | 52,122 (21,109) | Prehistoric cliff dwellings. |
| Mount Rainier | NP | SW Wash. | 1899 | 235,625 (95,395) | Volcanic peak and glaciers; subalpine meadows. |
| North Cascades | NP | N Wash. | 1968 | 504,781 (204,436) | Area of noted alpine scenery in the Cascade Range; bisected by Ross Lake National Recreation Area. |
| Olympic | NP | NW Wash. | 1909 | 922,651 (373,674) | Rain forests and glaciers in the Olympic Mountains Olympic National Park, 922,651 acres (373,674 hectares). Proclaimed as Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909, it was established as a national park in 1938. Rugged mountains, alpine meadows, coniferous rain forests, glaciers, lakes, and streams characterize this area. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Petrified Forest | NP | E Ariz. | 1906 | 93,533 (37,881) | Petrified logs; portions of the Painted Desert. |
| Redwood | NP | NW Calif. | 1968 | 112,430 (45,518) | Coastal redwood forests. |
| Rocky Mountain | NP | Central Colo. | 1915 | 265,723 (107,580) | Scenic Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountain National Park (265,723 acres/107,580 hectares) is in central Colorado. Straddling the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Southern Rockies, the park features more than 100 peaks towering over 11,000 ft (3,353 m). The highest is Longs Peak (14,255 ft/4,345 m). ..... Click the link for more information. region on the Continental Divide; many high, snowcapped peaks. |
| Saguaro | NP | SE Ariz. | 1933 | 91,443 (37,021) | Saguaro, other cacti, varied desert growth. |
| Sequoia | NP | E Calif. | 1890 | 402,510 (162,960) | Groves of giant sequoias. |
| Shenandoah | NP | N Va. | 1926 | 198,081 (80,195) | Forested region of the Blue Ridge Blue Ridge, eastern range of the Appalachian Mts., extending south from S Pa. to N Ga.; highest mountains in the E United States. Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 ft (2,037 m) high, is the tallest peak. Beginning with a narrow ridge in the north, c. ..... Click the link for more information. Mts. |
| Theodore Roosevelt | NP | W N.Dak. | 1947 | 70,447 (28,531) | Part of Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch; badlands along the Little Missouri River. |
| Virgin Islands | NP | Virgin Islands, on St. John | 1956 | 14,689 (5,949) | Unusual scenery, marine life, coral gardens; ruins of Danish colonial sugar plantations. |
| Voyageurs | NP | N Minn. | 1971 | 218,200 (88,340) | Scenic northern lakes region; interesting glacial features and history. |
| Wind Cave | NP | SW S.Dak. | 1903 | 28,295 (11,459) | Limestone caverns in the Black Hills. |
| Wrangell–St. Elias | PP | SW Alaska | 1978 | 13,176,371 (5,334,563) | Largest unit in the National Park System; numerous peaks over 16,000 ft (4,900 m), abundant wildlife. |
| Yellowstone | NP | Wyo., Mont., Idaho | 1872 | 2,219,791 (899,015) | Geysers and hot springs, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; first national park. |
| Yosemite | NP | E Central Calif. | 1890 | 761,266 (308,205) | Mountain region with Yosemite Valley. |
| Zion | NP | SW Utah | 1909 | 146,592 (59,349) | Multicolored canyon in a desert region. |
National Monuments | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Agate Fossil Beds | MO | NW Nebr. | 1965 | 3,055 (1,237) | World-famous quarries containing numerous well-preserved Miocene mammal fossils; museum of Native American artifacts. |
| Agua Fria | MO | Central Ariz. | 2000 | 71,100 (28,796) | A Native American settlement system dating to A.D. 1250–1450, spread over two mesas and the Agua Fria River canyon; more than 450 sites with pueblos, stone forts, and petroglyphs. |
| Alibates Flint Quarries | MO | NW Tex. | 1965 | 1,371 (555) | Flint quarries, first worked by Native Americans c.10,000 years ago; rich archaeological and historic area. |
| Aniakchak | MR | SW Alaska | 1978 | 602,779 (244,040) | Volcano; wilderness and wildlife preserve. |
| Aztec Ruins | MO | NW N.Mex. | 1923 | 319 (129) | Ruins of a Pueblo town. |
| Bandelier | MO | N N.Mex. | 1916 | 33,677 (13,634) | Ruins of 13th-century Pueblo cliff dwellings. |
| Booker T. Washington | MO | Central Va. | 1956 | 224 (91) | Birthplace and childhood home of Booker T. Washington Washington, Booker Taliaferro, 1856–1915, American educator, b. Franklin co., Va. His mother was a mulatto slave on a plantation, his father a white man. After the Civil War, he worked in salt furnaces and coal mines in Malden, W.Va. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Buck Island Reef | MO | Virgin Islands, on Buck Island | 1961 | 880 (356) | One of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean; bird rookeries and grottoes. |
| Cabrillo | MO | SW Calif. | 1913 | 137 (55) | Memorial to Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Cabrillo, Juan Rodríguez (hwän rôthrē`gāth käbrē`lyō), Port. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| California Coastal Rocks and Islands | MO | W Calif. | 2000 | … | Thousands of islands, rocks, and reefs within 12 mi (19 km) of California's 840-mi (1,350-km) coastline; includes nesting grounds of seabirds and marine mammals. |
| Canyon de Chelly | MO | NE Ariz. | 1931 | 83,840 (33,955) | Ruins of prehistoric Native American villages. |
| Canyons of the Ancients | MO | SW Colo. | 2000 | 164,000 (66,420) | Rugged landscape that is archaeologically rich, with some sites dating to 10,000 years ago; later pit houses, cliff dwellings, and pueblos. |
| Cape Krusenstern | MO | Alaska | 1978 | 649,182 (262,828) | Archaeological sites of indigenous communities dating back 4,000 years. |
| Capulin Volcano | MO | NE N.Mex. | 1916 | 793 (321) | Huge cinder cone of inactive volcano. |
| Carrizo Plain | MO | W central Calif. | 2001 | 204,000 (82,560) | Grasslands and wetlands, including akali Soda Lake, in Central Valley. Home to threatened or endangered species. |
| Casa Grande | MO | S Ariz. | 1892 | 473 (191) | Huge building built c.600 years ago, in the ruins of a Native American pueblo. |
| Cascade-Siskiyou | MO | S central Oregon | 2000 | 52,000 (21,060) | A biologically diverse and ecologically unique area that also includes Soda Mountain, Pilot Rock, and Siskiyou Pass. |
| Castillo de San Marcos | MO | NE Fla. | 1924 | 20 (8) | Old Spanish masonry fort in Saint Augustine Castillo de San Marcos (kăstē`yō də săn mär`kəs), now a national monument (see National Parks and Monuments , table). ..... Click the link for more information. , Fla. |
| Castle Clinton | MO | SE N.Y. | 1946 | 1 (.4) | See Battery, the Battery, the, park, 21 acres (8.5 hectares), southern tip of Manhattan island, New York City; site of former Dutch and English fortifications. Castle Clinton, a fort built in 1808 for the defense of New York harbor, was ceded to the city in 1823 and renamed Castle ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Cedar Breaks | MO | SW Utah | 1933 | 6,155 (2,493) | Amphitheater (2,000 ft/610 m deep) formed by erosion. |
| Chiricahua | MO | SE Ariz. | 1924 | 11,985 (4,854) | Odd-shaped rock formations. |
| Colorado | MO | W Colo. | 1911 | 20,534 (8,313) | Huge monoliths and other unusual erosional features. |
| Craters of the Moon | MO | S Idaho | 1924 | 53,440 (21,636) | Volcanic cones, craters, fissures, lava flows. |
| Devils Postpile | MO | E Calif. | 1911 | 798 (323) | Basaltic columns, some 60 ft (18 m) high. |
| Devils Tower | MO | NE Wyo. | 1906 | 1,347 (546) | Volcanic rock tower; first national monument. |
| Dinosaur | MO | Colo., Utah | 1915 | 210,278 (85,133) | Rich quarries of well-preserved fossils. |
| Effigy Mounds | MO | NE Iowa | 1949 | 1,481 (600) | Outstanding examples of prehistoric Native American mounds. |
| El Malpais | MO | N.Mex. | 1987 | 114,277 (46,282) | In English, "the badlands"; volcanic area; also rich in Pueblo history. |
| El Morro | MO | W N.Mex. | 1906 | 1,279 (518) | Sandstone monolith with inscriptions of Spanish explorers and American pioneers. |
| Florissant Fossil Beds | MO | Central Colo. | 1969 | 5,998 (2,429) | Well-preserved insect, seed, and leaf fossils of the Oligocene period; petrified sequoia tree stumps. |
| Fort Frederica | MO | SE Ga. | 1936 | 241 (98) | Ruins of a fort built by James Oglethorpe Oglethorpe, James Edward (ō`gəlthôrp) ..... Click the link for more information. on one of the Sea Islands. |
| Fort McHenry | MO | N Md. | 1925 | 43 (17) | See Fort McHenry Fort McHenry, former U.S. military post in Baltimore harbor; built 1794–1805. In the War of 1812 it was bombarded (Sept. 13–14, 1814) by a British fleet under Sir Alexander Cochrane, but the fort, commanded by Maj. George Armistead, resisted the attack. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Fort Matanzas | MO | NE Fla. | 1924 | 228 (92) | Spanish fort in Saint Augustine, Fla. |
| Fort Pulaski | MO | SE Ga. | 1924 | 5,623 (2,277) | Fort on Cockspur Island. See Fort Pulaski Fort Pulaski (pəlăs`kē), brick fortification on Cockspur Island, SE Ga. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Fort Stanwix | MO | Central N.Y. | 1935 | 16 (6) | See Fort Stanwix Fort Stanwix, colonial outpost on the site of Rome, N.Y., controlling a principal route from the Hudson River to Lake Ontario. Originally a French trading center, it was rebuilt by the English general John Stanwix in 1758. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Fort Sumter | MO | SE S.C. | 1948 | 195 (79) | Scene of the engagement that opened the Civil War. See Fort Sumter Fort Sumter, fortification, built 1829–60, on a shoal at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston, S.C., and named for Gen. Thomas Sumter ; scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. Upon passing the Ordinance of Secession (Dec. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Fort Union | MO | NW N.Mex. | 1954 | 721 (292) | Ruins of a U.S. army fort on the Santa Fe Trail. |
| Fossil Butte | MO | W Wyo. | 1972 | 8,198 (3,320) | Area containing Paleocene-Eocene fossil fish. |
| George Washington Birthplace | MO | E Va. | 1930 | 627 (254) | Estate and reconstructed mansion. See Wakefield George Washington Birthplace National Monument (see National Parks and Monuments , table). John Washington, the great-grandfather of George, settled there in 1664. The house in which George was born was built by his father, Augustine Washington. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| George Washington Carver | MO | SW Mo. | 1943 | 210 (85) | Birthplace and boyhood home of George Washington Carver Carver, George Washington, 1864?–1943, American agricultural chemist, b. Diamond, Mo., grad. Iowa State College (now Iowa State Univ.; B.S., 1894; M.A. 1896). Born a slave, he later, as a free man, earned his college degree. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Giant Sequoia | MO | E Calif. | 2000 | 328,000 (132,742) | Last remaining 34 groves of ancient sequoia trees within Sequoia National Forest. |
| Gila Cliff Dwellings | MO | SW N.Mex. | 1907 | 533 (216) | Well-preserved dwellings built by the Pueblo into a 150-ft (46-m) cliff. |
| Governors Island | MO | SE N.Y. | 2003 | 22 (9) | Early 1800s fortifications in New York harbor and their surroundings. |
| Grand Canyon–Parashant | MO | NW Ariz. | 2000 | 1,014,000 (410,670) | Canyons, mountains, and buttes on the W portion of the Grand Canyon's north rim. Prehistoric and 19th-century remains; rare condors and tortoises. |
| Grand Portage | MO | NE Minn. | 1951 | 710 (288) | 9-mi (14-km) portage on the route to the Northwest used by explorers, missionaries, and fur traders. |
| Grand Staircase-Escalante | MO | S Utah | 1996 | 1,700,000 (688,000) | Rock formations; natural arches and bridges; prehistoric dwellings and rock art; fossil sites. |
| Hagerman Fossil Beds | MO | S Idaho | 1988 | 4,351 (1,762) | Fossils dating from the Pliocene era. |
| Hanford Reach | MO | S central Wash. | 2000 | 195,000 (78,975) | Free-flowing nontidal stretch of the Columbia River with salmon spawing grounds and the shrub-steppe ecosystem originally typical of the river basin. |
| Hohokam Pima | MO | Central Ariz. | 1972 | 1,690 (684) | Archaeological remains of the Hohokam culture. |
| Homestead | MO | SE Nebr. | 1936 | 195 (79) | Site of the first farm claimed under the Homestead Act Homestead Act, 1862, passed by the U.S. Congress. It provided for the transfer of 160 acres (65 hectares) of unoccupied public land to each homesteader on payment of a nominal fee after five years of residence; land could also be acquired after six months of ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Hovenweep | MO | Utah, Colo. | 1923 | 785 (318) | Prehistoric Native American pueblos and cliff dwellings. |
| Ironwood Forest | MO | S Ariz. | 2000 | 129,000 (52,245) | Mountainous desert landscape with large stands of ironwood trees; saguaro forests and bighorn sheep; historic Hohokam sites. |
| Jewel Cave | MO | SW S.Dak. | 1908 | 1,274 (516) | Limestone caves with chambers connected by narrow passages; in the Black Hills. |
| John Day Fossil Beds | MO | N central Oregon | 1974 | 14,014 (5,676) | Consists of Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno locations. Its rich fossil remains extend over four prehistoric periods. |
| Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks | MO | N central N.Mex. | 2001 | 4,114 (1,665) | Canyons, cliffs, and cone-shaped rock formations with nesting birds. |
| Lava Beds | MO | N Calif. | 1925 | 46,560 (18,857) | Examples of volcanism; scene of Modoc uprising. |
| Little Bighorn Battlefield | MO | SE Mont. | 1879 | 765 (310) | Site of the battle between five companies of the Seventh Cavalry, commanded by George Armstrong Custer, and the Sioux and Cheyenne. |
| Minidoka Internment | MO | S Idaho | 2001 | 73 (30) | Site of a World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans. See relocation center relocation center, in U.S. history, camp in which Japanese and Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II. Fearing a Japanese invasion, the military leaders, under authority of an executive order, defined (Mar. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Montezuma Castle | MO | Central Ariz. | 1906 | 858 (347) | Well-preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings. |
| Muir Woods | MO | W Calif. | 1908 | 554 (224) | Virgin stand of coastal redwoods. |
| Natural Bridges | MO | SE Utah | 1908 | 7,636 (3,093) | Three huge natural sandstone bridges. |
| Navajo | MO | NE Ariz. | 1909 | 360 (146) | Ruins of large cliff dwellings. |
| Newberry | MO | Central Oregon | 1990 | 50,500 (20,453) | Caldera of a 500 sq mi (1,300 sq km) volcano, with lava flows, cinder cones, and the Lava Cast Forest. |
| Ocmulgee | MO | Central Ga. | 1934 | 702 (284) | Remains of prehistoric temple mounds. |
| Oregon Caves | MO | SW Oreg. | 1909 | 488 (198) | Limestone caverns with four levels; rock formations. |
| Organ Pipe Cactus | MO | S Ariz. | 1937 | 330,689 (133,929) | Unique Sonoran Desert plants and animals. |
| Petroglyph | MO | N.Mex. | 1990 | 7,232 (2,928) | More than 15,000 prehistoric and historic Native American and Hispanic petroglyphs and rock art carvings. |
| Pinnacles | MO | W Calif. | 1908 | 24,265 (9,827) | Rock spires from 500 to 1,200 ft (150 to 365 m) high; caves. |
| Pipe Spring | MO | NW Ariz. | 1923 | 40 (16) | Spring first visited by the Mormons; old fort. |
| Pipestone | MO | SW Minn. | 1937 | 282 (114) | Quarry that was a source for Native American peace pipes; park includes Upper Midwest Indian Cultural Center. |
| Pompeys Pillar | MO | S central Mont. | 2001 | 51 (21) | Large sandstone butte on Yellowstone River with inscription by William Clark. |
| Poverty Point | MO | NE La. | 1988 | 911 (369) | Remains of a 2d millenium B.C. culture. |
| President Lincoln and Soldier's Home | MO | Washington, D.C. | 2000 | 2.3 (.9) | Historic Anderson Cottage, used as a summer retreat by Lincoln and other presidents. |
| Rainbow Bridge | MO | S Utah | 1910 | 160 (65) | Pink sandstone arch. |
| Russell Cave | MO | NE Ala. | 1961 | 310 (126) | Cave containing a nearly continuous archaeological record of human habitation from about 7000 B.C. to A.D. 1650. |
| Salinas Pueblo Missions | MO | Central N.Mex. | 1909 | 1,071 (434) | Four 17th-century mission churches and ruins of three Pueblo villages. |
| Scotts Bluff | MO | W Nebr. | 1919 | 3,003 (1,216) | Landmark on the Oregon Trail. |
| Sonoran Desert | MO | SW Ariz. | 2001 | 486,000 (196,684) | Biologically diverse desert with mountain ranges and lowland valleys. Historical and archaeological remains. |
| Statue of Liberty | MO | SE N.Y. | 1924 | 58 (23) | See Liberty, Statue of Liberty, Statue of, statue on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, commanding the entrance to New York City. Liberty Island, c.10 acres (4 hectares), formerly Bedloe's Island (renamed in 1956), was the former site of a quarantine station and harbor fortifications. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Sunset Crater Volcano | MO | N Ariz. | 1930 | 3,040 (1,231) | Volcanic cinder cone with multicolored crater. |
| Timpanogos Cave | MO | N Utah | 1922 | 250 (101) | Limestone cavern on Mt. Timpanogos. |
| Tonto | MO | Central Ariz. | 1907 | 1,120 (454) | Well-preserved 14th-century cliff dwellings built by Native Americans in the Salt River valley. |
| Tuzigoot | MO | Central Ariz. | 1939 | 801 (324) | Excavated ruins of a large Native American pueblo. |
| Upper Missouri River Breaks | MO | N central Mont. | 2001 | 377,346 (152,825) | Rugged, remote ecosystem paralleling the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River; explored by Lewis and Clark. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef | MO | Virgin Islands, off St. John | 2001 | 12,000 (4,856) | Mangroves, sea grass beds, and coral reefs, home to many sea animals and birds. |
| Vermilion Cliffs | MO | N Ariz. | 2000 | 293,000 (118,577) | Remote cliffs, plateaus, canyons, and desert grasslands. |
| Walnut Canyon | MO | N Ariz. | 1915 | 3,579 (1,449) | 12th-century Sinagua cliff dwellings. |
| White Sands | MO | S N.Mex. | 1933 | 143,733 (58,212) | Wind-drifted gypsum sands. |
| Wupatki | MO | N Ariz. | 1924 | 35,422 (14,341) | Several prehistoric pueblos. |
| Yucca House | MO | SW Colo. | 1919 | 34 (14) | Unexcavated ruins of a prehistoric Native American village. |
National and International Historic Sites and Historical Parks | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Abraham Lincoln Birthplace | HS | Central Ky. | 1916 | 117 (47) | Traditional birthplace cabin in memorial building on site of Lincoln's birthplace. |
| Adams | HP | E Mass. | 1946 | 14 (6) | Home of Presidents John Adams Adams, John, 1735–1826, 2d President of the United States (1797–1801), b. Quincy (then in Braintree), Mass., grad. Harvard, 1755. John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams , founded one of the most distinguished families of the United States; their son, John ..... Click the link for more information. , John Quincy Adams Adams, John Quincy, 1767–1848, 6th President of the United States (1825–29), b. Quincy (then in Braintree), Mass.; son of John Adams and Abigail Adams and father of Charles Francis Adams (1807–86). ..... Click the link for more information. , and other members of the family. |
| Allegheny Portage Railroad | HS | SW Pa. | 1964 | 1,249 (506) | Inclined-plane railroad that lifted passengers and cargoes of boats on the Pennsylvania Canal over the Allegheny Mts. |
| Andersonville | HS | SW Ga. | 1970 | 495 (200) | Civil War prison camp and national prisoner of war memorial. See under Andersonville Andersonville Prison, officially known as Camp Sumter, tens of thousands of Union soldiers were confined during the Civil War under conditions so bad that nearly 13,000 soldiers died. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Andrew Johnson | HS | NE Tenn. | 1935 | 17 (7) | Home, shop, and grave of President Andrew Johnson Johnson, Andrew, 1808–75, 17th President of the United States (1865–69), b. Raleigh, N.C.
Early LifeHis father died when Johnson was 3, and at 14 he was apprenticed to a tailor. ..... Click the link for more information. ; site includes Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. |
| Appomattox Court House | HP | S central Va. | 1930 | 1,775 (719) | Site of Lee's surrender to Grant. See under Appomattox Appomattox Courthouse on Apr. 9, 1865. After Gen. Philip Sheridan's victory over the Confederates at Five Forks on Apr. 1, Lee abandoned Petersburg and Richmond and retreated westward. ..... Click the link for more information. , Va. |
| Bent's Old Fort | HS | SE Colo. | 1960 | 799 (323) | Fur-trading post and rest station on the Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe National Historic Trail (see National Parks and Monuments (table) follows the route of the old trail, with many sites marked or restored.
By the early 19th cent. small trapping parties had reached Santa Fe, then under Spanish rule; but they were forbidden to trade. ..... Click the link for more information. ; built c.1830 by Charles Bent Bent, Charles, 1799–1847, American frontiersman, b. St. Louis. He entered the fur trade of the Missouri River and became one of the mountain men. His interests turned to the Southwest, and he led expeditions on the Santa Fe Trail. ..... Click the link for more information. and William Bent Bent, William, 1809–69, American frontiersman, b. St. Louis. One of the younger brothers of Charles Bent, he was for many years the manager of Bent's Fort , while Charles Bent lived mainly in Taos. ..... Click the link for more information. . See Bent's Fort Bent's Fort, trading post of the American West, on the Arkansas River in present-day SE Colorado, E of Rocky Ford and La Junta and several miles above the mouth of the Purgatoire. The trading company headed by Charles Bent and Ceran St. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Boston | HP | E Mass. | 1974 | 41 (17) | Many sites include Old South Meeting House, the home of Paul Revere, obelisk commemorating the Battle of Bunker Hill, and part of the Charlestown Navy Yard. |
| Boston African American | HS | E Mass. | 1980 | .38 (.15) | Site features oldest African-American church in the United States and the Black Heritage Trail. |
| Brown v. Board of Education | HS | NE Kansas | 1992 | 2 (.8) | See Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans. Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka (see National Parks and Monuments , table).
BibliographySee study by J. T. Pattterson (2001). ..... Click the link for more information. |
| Cane River Creole | HP | SE La. | 1994 | 207 (84) | Plantations and other sites associated with the development of creole culture. |
| Carl Sandburg Home | HS | SW N.C. | 1968 | 264 (107) | Farm home of author Carl Sandburg Sandburg, Carl, 1878–1967, American poet and biographer, b. Galesburg, Ill. The son of poor Swedish immigrants, he left school at the age of 13 and became a day laborer. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Chaco Culture | HP | NW N.Mex. | 1907 | 33,974 (13,759) | 13 pre-Columbian ruins of the Anasazi. Ruins representing the highest point of Pueblo Pueblo, name given by the Spanish to the sedentary Native Americans who lived in stone or adobe communal houses in what is now the SW United States. The term pueblo is also used for the villages occupied by the Pueblo. ..... Click the link for more information. prehistoric civilization (A.D. 900–1000). |
| Charles Pinckney | HS | SE S.C. | 1988 | 28 (11) | Home and estate of American diplomat and framer of the Constitution. |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal | HP | D.C., Md., W.Va. | 1938 | 19,236 (7,791) | See Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, former waterway, c.185 mi (300 km) long, from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Md., running along the north bank of the Potomac River. ..... Click the link for more information. . Proclaimed a national monument in 1961, a national historical park in 1971. |
| Christiansted | HS | Virgin Islands, on St. Croix | 1952 | 27 (11) | Commemorates the Virgin Islands' colonial development, especially under Danish rule in the 18th and 19th cent. |
| Clara Barton | HS | S Md. | 1974 | 9 (4) | Home and offices of the founder of the American Red Cross. |
| Colonial | HP | SE Va. | 1930 | 9,350 (3,785) | Historic Yorktown, Jamestown, and Cape Henry. Colonial Parkway connects some sites with Williamsburg. |
| Cumberland Gap | HP | Ky., Tenn., Va. | 1940 | 20,454 (8,281) | Mountain pass of the Wilderness Road. See Cumberland Gap Cumberland Gap, natural passage through the Cumberland Mts., near the point where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet. The gap was formed by the erosive action of a stream that once flowed there. It was explored and named in 1750 by Dr. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Dayton Aviation Heritage | HP | W Ohio | 1992 | 86 (35) | Site honors life and work of the Wright brothers Wright brothers, American airplane inventors and aviation pioneers. Orville Wright 1871–1948, was born in Dayton, Ohio, and Wilbur Wright, 1867–1912, near New Castle, Ind. ..... Click the link for more information. , as well as poet Paul Laurence Dunbar Dunbar, Paul Laurence (dŭn`bär), 1872–1906, American poet and novelist, b. Dayton, Ohio. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Edgar Allan Poe | HS | SE Pa. | 1978 | .52 (.21) | In 1843, Poe Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809–49, American poet, short-story writer, and critic, b. Boston. He is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. ..... Click the link for more information. lived here and wrote several of his most famous stories. |
| Edison | HS | NE N.J. | 1962 | 21 (9) | Buildings and equipment used by Thomas A. Edison Edison, Thomas Alva, 1847–1931, American inventor, b. Milan, Ohio. A genius in the practical application of scientific principles, Edison was one of the greatest and most productive inventors of his time, but his formal schooling was limited to three months in ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Eisenhower | HS | S Pa. | 1969 | 690 (279) | Home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower, Dwight David (ī`zənhou'ər), 1890–1969, American general and 34th President of the United States, b. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Eleanor Roosevelt | HS | S N.Y. | 1977 | 181 (73) | Her personal retreat including two restored buildings, tennis court, rose garden, and playhouse. |
| Eugene O'Neill | HS | N Calif. | 1976 | 13 (5) | Restored home of the playwright. |
| Ford's Theatre | HS | Washington, D.C. | 1970 | .29 (.12) | Site of President Abraham Lincoln Lincoln, Abraham (lĭng`kən), 1809–65, 16th President of the United States (1861–65). ..... Click the link for more information. 's assassination and death; includes the Lincoln Museum. |
| Fort Bowie | HS | SE Ariz. | 1964 | 1,000 (405) | Ruins of a fort (est. 1862) that was the base of military operations against Geronimo Geronimo (jərŏn`əmō'), c.1829–1909, leader of a Chiricahua group of the Apaches , b. Arizona. ..... Click the link for more information. and his followers. |
| Fort Davis | HS | W Tex. | 1961 | 474 (192) | Key post in the defensive system of W Texas, guarding (1854–91) the San Antonio–El Paso road through the Davis Mts. |
| Fort Laramie | HS | SE Wyo. | 1938 | 833 (337) | Buildings of an old fort on the Oregon Trail. |
| Fort Larned | HS | Central Kansas | 1964 | 718 (291) | Protected the Santa Fe Trail; served as a military base during the Plains War (1860s) and later as an Indian Bureau administrative center. |
| Fort Point | HS | W Calif. | 1970 | 29 (12) | Brick and granite mid-19th-century coastal fortification. |
| Fort Raleigh | HS | NE N.C. | 1941 | 513 (208) | Site of the first attempted settlement by the English in North America. See Roanoke Island Roanoke Island, 12 mi (19 km) long and 3 mi (4.8 km) wide, NE N.C., off the Atlantic coast between Croatan (W) and Roanoke (E) sounds in the Outer Banks . Manteo is the chief town, and tourism and fishing are the principal industries. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Fort Scott | HS | SE Kansas | 1965 | 17 (7) | Commemorates historic events in Kansas prior to and during the Civil War. |
| Fort Smith | HS | NW Ark. | 1961 | 75 (30) | One of the first U.S. military posts in the Louisiana Purchase; maintained law and order in the Oklahoma Territory. See Fort Smith Fort Smith National Historic Site includes the Old Fort Museum and Judge Parker's court (see National Parks and Monuments , table). A national Civil War cemetery and an annual rodeo draw visitors. ..... Click the link for more information. , Ark. |
| Fort Union Trading Post | HS | N.Dak., Mont. | 1966 | 442 (179) | American Fur Company trading post during the 19th cent. |
| Fort Vancouver | HS | SW Wash. | 1948 | 209 (85) | Site of a Hudson's Bay Company Hudson's Bay Company, corporation chartered (1670) by Charles II of England for the purpose of trade and settlement in the Hudson Bay region of North America and for exploration toward the discovery of the Northwest Passage to Asia. ..... Click the link for more information. post (1825–49) and later of a U.S. army fort. |
| Frederick Douglass | HS | Washington, D.C. | 1962 | 9 (4) | Home of the abolitionist and writer; contains original furnishings, photographs, lithographs, and his library. |
| Frederick Law Olmsted | HS | E Mass. | 1979 | 7 (2.8) | Site of Olmsted's home and business containing lithographs and original furnishings. |
| Friendship Hill | HS | SW Pa. | 1978 | 675 (273) | Home of Albert Gallatin Gallatin, Albert (găl`ətĭn), 1761–1849, American financier and public official, b. Geneva, Switzerland. ..... Click the link for more information. , U.S. secretary of the treasury under Presidents Jefferson and Madison. |
| George Rogers Clark | HP | SW Ind. | 1966 | 26 (11) | Memorial near the site of old Fort Sackville, seized from the British by General G. R. Clark Clark, George Rogers, 1752–1818, American Revolutionary general, conqueror of the Old Northwest, b. near Charlottesville, Va.; brother of William Clark . ..... Click the link for more information. in 1779. |
| Golden Spike | HS | N Utah | 1957 | 2,735 (1,108) | Site where the Union Pacific RR Union Pacific Railroad, transportation company chartered (1862) by Congress to build part of the nation's first transcontinental railroad line. Under terms of the Pacific Railroads Act, the Union Pacific was authorized to build a line westward from Omaha, Nebr. ..... Click the link for more information. and the Central Pacific RR joined to form the first transcontinental railroad. |
| Grant-Kohrs Ranch | HS | W Mont. | 1972 | 1,618 (655) | Headquarters of one of the largest 19th-century range ranches. |
| Hampton | HS | NE Md. | 1948 | 62 (25) | Late-18th-century Georgian mansion. |
| Harpers Ferry | HP | Md., W.Va. | 1944 | 2,343 (949) | See Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry, town (1990 pop. 308), Jefferson co., easternmost W Va., at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers; inc. 1763. The town is a tourist attraction, known for its history and its scenic beauty. John Brown 's seizure of the U.S. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Harry S. Truman | HS | Mo. | 1983 | 7 (3) | Home of Harry S. Truman Truman, Harry S., 1884–1972, 33d President of the United States, b. Lamar, Mo.
Early Life and Political CareerHe grew up on a farm near Independence, Mo., worked at various jobs, and tended the family farm. ..... Click the link for more information. from 1919 until 1972. |
| Herbert Hoover | HS | E Iowa | 1965 | 187 (76) | Birthplace, childhood home, and burial place of President Herbert Hoover Hoover, Herbert Clark, 1874–1964, 31st President of the United States (1929–33), b. West Branch, Iowa.
Wartime Relief EffortsAfter graduating (1895) from Stanford, he worked as a mining engineer in many parts of the world. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt | HS | SE N.Y. | 1944 | 349 (141) | Home, "Summer White House," and burial place of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt. See Hyde Park Hyde Park, town (1990 pop. 21,230), Dutchess co., SE N.Y., on the Hudson River; settled c.1740. It is famous as the site of the Roosevelt estate, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt was born and is buried. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Hopewell Culture | HP | S Ohio | 1923 | 1,245 (504) | Prehistoric burial mounds of Hopewell people. |
| Hopewell Furnace | HS | SE Pa. | 1938 | 848 (343) | 19th-century iron-making site with reconstructed buildings and furnished cottages. |
| Hubbell Trading Post | HS | NE Ariz. | 1965 | 160 (65) | Example of a late-19th-century trading post in the Southwest. |
| Independence | HP | SE Pa. | 1948 | 45 (18) | Historic points of interest and the Liberty Bell; site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. See Independence Hall Independence Hall, historic building on Independence Square, downtown Philadelphia, in Independence National Historical Park. Originally constructed as the Pennsylvania colony's statehouse in 1732, the hall was the scene of the proclamation of the U.S. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| James A. Garfield | HS | NE Ohio | 1980 | 8 (3) | Home of the 20th president and site of the first presidential memorial library. |
| Jean Lafitte | HP | SE La. | 1939 | 20,020 (8,108) | Includes New Orleans' French Quarter, the Chalmette Battlefield, and the Barataria and Acadian units. |
| Jimmy Carter | HS | SW Georgia | 1987 | 71 (29) | Buildings and exhibits associated with the 39th president's life. |
| John Fitzgerald Kennedy | HS | E Mass. | 1967 | .09 (.04) | Birthplace and early boyhood home of President John F. Kennedy. |
| John Muir | HS | W Calif. | 1964 | 345 (140) | John Muir House and Martínez Adobe, commemorating contributions of John Muir Muir, John, 1838–1914, American naturalist, b. Dunbar, Scotland, studied at the Univ. of Wisconsin. He came to the United States in 1849 and settled in California in 1868. ..... Click the link for more information. to conservation and literature. |
| Kalaupapa | HP | N Molokai Island, Hawaii | 1980 | 10,779 (4,365) | Site of former leper colony separated from the island by 2,000-ft (610-m) cliff; there are ruins of 300 Hawaiian structures. |
| Kaloko-Honokohau | HP | Hawaii Island, Hawaii | 1978 | 1,161 (470) | Site of important pre-European settlements. |
| Keweenaw | HP | NW Mich. | 1992 | 1,870 (757) | Preserves features relevant to the first significant copper mining in the United States. |
| Klondike Gold Rush | HP | SW Alaska, NW Wa. | 1976 | 13,191 (5,342) | Sites connected with the 1898 Klondike Klondike (klŏn`dīk), region of Yukon Territory , NW Canada, just E of the Alaska border. ..... Click the link for more information. gold rush including Seattle's Pioneer Square, the miners' point of departure. |
| Knife River Indian Villages | HS | Central N.Dak. | 1974 | 1,758 (712) | Ruins of villages of Hidasta and Mandan Native Americans. |
| Lewis and Clark | HP | NW Oreg., SW Wash. | 1958 | 1,481 (599) | Fort Clatsop, site of the winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark expedition Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (see National Parks and Monuments , table).
The importance of the well-planned, well-executed expedition (only one person had been lost) was enormous. ..... Click the link for more information. , and other sites associated with it. Jointly managed with nearby state historical parks. |
| Lincoln Home | HS | Central Ill. | 1971 | 12 (5) | Only private home owned by Abraham Lincoln; he was living there when he was elected president. |
| Little Rock Central High School | HS | Central Ark. | 1998 | 18 (7) | Site commemorating the "Little Rock Nine" and the fight for desegregation in the schools. |
| Longfellow | HS | E Mass. | 1972 | 2 (.8) | Home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807–82, American poet, b. Portland, Maine, grad. Bowdoin College, 1825. He wrote some of the most popular poems in American literature, in which he created a new body of romantic American legends. ..... Click the link for more information. (1837–82) in Cambridge; also George Washington's headquarters during the siege of Boston (1775–76). |
| Lowell | HP | NE Mass. | 1978 | 141 (57) | Restored site of cotton mill traces the history of the Industrial Revolution. |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | HP | SE Tex. | 1969 | 1,570 (636) | Sites of the birthplace, boyhood home, and ranch of President Lyndon B. Johnson Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1908–73, 36th President of the United States (1963–69), b. near Stonewall, Tex.
Early LifeBorn into a farm family, he graduated (1930) from Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Southwest Texas State Univ. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Maggie L. Walker | HS | E Central Va. | 1978 | 1 (.4) | Home of African-American bank president and early leader in the women's movement. |
| Manzanar | HS | E Calif. | 1992 | 814 (330) | Site of World War II internment of Japanese Americans. See relocation center. |
| Marsh-Billings | HP | Vt. | 1992 | 643 (260) | Home of pioneer conservationist George Perkins Marsh. |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. | HS | N Ga. | 1980 | 39 (16) | Birthplace, church, and grave of the civil-rights leader. |
| Martin Van Buren | HS | SE N.Y. | 1974 | 40 (16) | Home of the 8th president. |
| Mary McLeod Bethune Council House | HS | Washington, D.C. | 1982 | .07 (.03) | Home and political headquarters of the educator and activist; the carriage house contains the Bethune Archives. |
| Minute Man | HP | E Mass. | 1959 | 965 (391) | Scene of fighting on the opening day of the Revolutionary War; includes North Bridge, Minute Man statue, Battle Road (see Lexington and Concord, battles of Lexington and Concord, battles of, opening engagements of the American Revolution , Apr. 19, 1775. After the passage (1774) of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament, unrest in the colonies increased. The British commander at Boston, Gen. ..... Click the link for more information. ), and the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804–64, American novelist and short-story writer, b. Salem, Mass., one of the great masters of American fiction. His novels and tales are penetrating explorations of moral and spiritual conflicts. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Morristown | HP | N N.J. | 1933 | 1,698 (687) | Site of military encampments during the Revolution; Washington's headquarters, 1779–80. |
| Natchez | HP | SW Miss. | 1988 | 108 (44) | Melrose plantation and other antebellum buildings. |
| New Bedford Whaling | HP | SE Mass. | 1996 | 34 (14) | Commemorates the whaling heritage of New Bedford; includes a whaling museum. |
| New Orleans Jazz | HP | SE La. | 1994 | … | Preserves and interprets jazz as it has evolved in New Orleans. |
| Nez Percé | HP | Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash. | 1965 | 2,123 (860) | 38 sites that preserve and commemorate the history and culture of the Nez Percé. |
| Nicodemus | HS | NW Kansas | 1996 | 161 (65) | Site of town established by African Americans during Reconstruction. |
| Ninety Six | HS | NW S.C. | 1976 | 989 (401) | A frontier trading post and Revolutionary War stronghold. |
| Palo Alto Battlefield | HS | S Tex. | 1978 | 3,357 (1,360) | Site of the first major battle of the Mexican War. |
| Pecos | HP | N N.Mex. | 1965 | 6,671 (2,702) | 15th-century ruins of Pecos Pueblo, once the largest Native American settlement in the Southwest. |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | HS | Washington, D.C. | 1965 | … | Portion of Pennsylvania Ave. and adjacent area between the Capitol and the White House. |
| Pu'uhonua o Honaunau | HP | SW Hawaii Island, Hawaii | 1955 | 182 (74) | Ancient Hawaiian sanctuary and royal residence. |
| Puukohola Heiau | HS | Hawaii Island, Hawaii | 1972 | 86 (35) | Ruins of temple built (1791) by King Kamehameha the Great. |
| Sagamore Hill | HS | SE N.Y. | 1962 | 83 (34) | Estate and Victorian-style home of President Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858–1919, 26th President of the United States (1901–9), b. New York City.
Early Life and Political PostsOf a prosperous and distinguished family, Theodore Roosevelt was educated by private tutors and traveled widely. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Saint Croix Island | IS | E Maine | 1949 | 45 (18) | Commemorates the French settlement on the island in the Saint Croix Saint Croix. 1 River, 75 mi (121 km) long, rising in the Chiputneticook Lakes and flowing SE to Passamaquoddy Bay, forming part of the U.S.-Canada border; navigable to Calais, Maine. The river is used for power and to float logs downstream. ..... Click the link for more information. River. |
| Saint-Gaudens | HS | W N.H. | 1964 | 148 (60) | Memorial to the American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens Saint-Gaudens, Augustus (sānt-gôd`ənz), 1848–1907, American sculptor, b. Dublin, Ireland. ..... Click the link for more information. ; contains his home studios, gardens. |
| Saint Paul's Church | HS | SE N.Y. | 1943 | 6 (2) | 18th-century church associated with the events leading to the arrest of John Peter Zenger Zenger, John Peter (zĕng`ər), 1697–1746, American journalist, b. Germany. ..... Click the link for more information. ; includes Bill of Rights museum. |
| Salem Maritime | HS | NE Mass. | 1938 | 9 (4) | Wharves and buildings important during Salem's seafaring days. |
| Salt River Bay | HP | Virgin Islands, on St. Croix | 1992 | 945 (383) | Fort Sale; upland watersheds, mangrove forests, estuarine and marine environments. |
| San Antonio Missions | HP | S central Tex. | 1978 | 819 (332) | Four missions situated on the San Antonio River; important examples of Spanish cultural influence. |
| San Francisco Maritime | HP | N Calif. | 1988 | 50 (20) | Largest collection of historic ships in the United States; exhibits on maritime history. |
| San Juan | HS | NE Puerto Rico | 1949 | 75 (30) | Oldest fortification within the limits of U.S. territory, built (16th cent.) by the Spanish to protect the harbor guarding the sea lanes to the New World. |
| San Juan Island | HP | NW Wash. | 1966 | 1,752 (710) | Dedicated to the peaceful relationship between the United States, Britain, and Canada since the San Juan Boundary Dispute San Juan Boundary Dispute, controversy between the United States and Great Britain over the U.S.–British Columbia boundary. It is sometimes called the Northwest Boundary Dispute. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Saratoga | HP | E N.Y. | 1938 | 3,392 (1,373) | Scene of a famous battle in the American Revolution. See Saratoga campaign Saratoga campaign, June–Oct., 1777, of the American Revolution. Lord George Germain and John Burgoyne were the chief authors of a plan to end the American Revolution by splitting the colonies along the Hudson River. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Saugus Iron Works | HS | E Mass. | 1968 | 9 (4) | Reconstruction of the 17th-century Colonial ironworks. |
| Sitka | HP | SE Alaska | 1910 | 107 (43) | Site of the Tlingit peoples' defeat by Russian settlers in 1804. See Sitka Sitka (sĭt`kə), city (1990 pop. 8,588), Sitka census div., SE Alaska, in the Alexander Archipelago, on Baranof Island; inc. 1971. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Springfield Armory | HS | Mass. | 1974 | 55 (22) | Large weapons museum housed in former arsenal. |
| Steamtown | HS | NE Pa. | 1986 | 62 (25) | A railyard containing America's largest collection of steam-era locomotives and railroad cars. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace | HS | SE N.Y. | 1962 | .11 (.04) | Birthplace and boyhood home of President Theodore Roosevelt. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural | HS | W N.Y. | 1966 | 1 (.4) | Ansley Wilcox House, where Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office (1901) as president. |
| Thomas Stone | HS | S Md. | 1978 | 328 (133) | Georgian-style home, Habre-de-Ventre, of a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. |
| Tumacacori | HP | S Ariz. | 1908 | 46 (19) | Mission founded by Father Eusebio F. Kino Kino, Eusebio Francisco (ā ..... Click the link for more information. ; rebuilt by the Franciscans. |
| Tuskegee Airmen | HS | SE Ala. | 1999 | 90 (36) | Site commemorating the African-American Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. |
| Tuskegee Institute | HS | S Ala. | 1974 | 58 (23) | First institution of higher learning for the vocational training of African Americans; founded in 1881. |
| Ulysses S. Grant | HS | Missouri | 1989 | 10 (4) | Pre–Civil War home of Ulysses S. Grant. |
| Valley Forge | HP | SE Pa. | 1976 | 3,466 (1,404) | Soldiers' huts and preserved buildings re-create the 1777–78 encampment of the Continental Army. |
| Vanderbilt Mansion | HS | E N.Y. | 1940 | 212 (86) | 19th-century palatial Victorian residence of a grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. |
| War in the Pacific | HP | Central Guam | 1978 | 2,031 (822) | Artifacts of World War II in the Pacific theater. |
| Washita Battlefield | HS | Okla. | 1848 | 315 (128) | Site of a Southern Cheyenne village attacked by General Custer on Nov. 27, 1868. |
| Weir Farm | HS | Conn. | 1990 | 74 (30) | Home and studio of the American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir. |
| Whitman Mission | HS | SW Wash. | 1936 | 98 (40) | Site of the mission of Dr. Marcus Whitman Whitman, Marcus, 1802–47, American pioneer and missionary in the Oregon country, b. Federal Hollow (later Rushville), N.Y. In 1836 he left a country medical practice to go West as a missionary for the joint Presbyterian-Congregationalist board. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| William Howard Taft | HS | SW Ohio | 1969 | 3 (1) | Birthplace and early home of President William Howard Taft Taft, William Howard, 1857–1930, 27th President of the United States (1909–13) and 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921–30), b. Cincinnati.
Early CareerAfter graduating (1878) from Yale, he attended Cincinnati Law School. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Women's Rights | HP | W N.Y. | 1980 | 6 (2) | Includes Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, site of first women's rights convention (1848), and the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, 1815–1902, American reformer, a leader of the woman-suffrage movement, b. Johnstown, N.Y. She was educated at the Troy Female Seminary (now Emma Willard School) in Troy, N.Y. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
National Memorials | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Arkansas Post | MM | SE Ark. | 1960 | 747 (302) | Site of the first permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi valley. See Arkansas Post Arkansas Post (är`kənsô), community on the Arkansas River, SE Ark. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial | MM | NE Va. | 1925 | 28 (11) | Former home of the Custis and Lee families; memorial to Robert E. Lee Lee, Robert Edward, 1807–70, general in chief of the Confederate armies in the American Civil War, b. Jan. 19, 1807, at Stratford , Westmoreland co., Va.; son of Henry ("Light-Horse Harry") Lee. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Chamizal | MM | W Tex. | 1966 | 55 (22) | Memorializes the peaceful settlement of the 99-year border dispute between the United States and Mexico. |
| Coronado | MM | SE Ariz. | 1952 | 4,750 (1,924) | Area near Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Coronado, Francisco Vásquez de (fränthēs`kō väs`kāth dā kōrōnä`thō), c. ..... Click the link for more information. 's point of entry (1540) into the United States. |
| De Soto | MM | W Fla. | 1948 | 27 (11) | Commemorates the landing (1539) of Hernando De Soto De Soto, Hernando (dĭsō`tō, Span. ĕrnän`dō dā sō`tō), c.1500–1542, Spanish explorer. ..... Click the link for more information. in Florida and his exploration of the S United States. |
| Federal Hall | MM | SE N.Y. | 1939 | .45 (.18) | Site of the first seat of the federal government and George Washington Washington, George, 1732–99, 1st President of the United States (1789–97), commander in chief of the Continental army in the American Revolution , called the Father of His Country.
Early LifeHe was born on Feb. 22, 1732 (Feb. 11, 1731, O. ..... Click the link for more information. 's inauguration (1789). |
| Fort Caroline | MM | NE Fla. | 1950 | 138 (56) | Area overlooking the site of Fort Caroline Fort Caroline, settlement near the mouth of the St. Johns River, NE Fla.; est. 1564 by French Huguenots under René de Laudonnière. A Spanish force led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés attacked the fort in 1565, killed most of the colonists, and ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1997 | 8 (3) | Monument to Roosevelt on the Mall in the nation's capital. |
| General Grant | MM | SE N.Y. | 1958 | .76 (.31) | Tomb of President Ulysses S. Grant Grant, Ulysses Simpson, 1822–85, commander in chief of the Union army in the Civil War and 18th President (1869–77) of the United States, b. Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was originally named Hiram Ulysses Grant. ..... Click the link for more information. and his wife, Julia. |
| Hamilton Grange | MM | SE N.Y. | 1962 | .11 (.04) | Home of Alexander Hamilton Hamilton, Alexander, 1755–1804, American statesman, b. Nevis, in the West Indies.
Early CareerHe was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton (of a prominent Scottish family) and Rachel Faucett Lavien (daughter of a doctor-planter on Nevis and ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Jefferson National Expansion Memorial | MM | E Mo. | 1935 | 193 (78) | Area commemorating westward exploration and settlement; includes Gateway Arch. See Saint Louis Saint Louis (l `ĭs), city (1990 pop...... Click the link for more information. , Mo. |
| Johnstown Flood | MM | SE Pa. | 1964 | 164 (66) | Memorializes the Johnstown flood of 1889. See Johnstown Johnstown. 1 City (1990 pop. 9,058), seat of Fulton co., E central N.Y.; founded 1772, inc. 1895. Its leather-glove industry dates back to 1800; other leather and knitted goods are also made. ..... Click the link for more information. , Pa. |
| Korean War Veterans Memorial | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1986 | 2 (.8) | Grouping of 19 infantry soldiers standing before a polished granite wall. |
| Lincoln Boyhood | MM | SW Ind. | 1962 | 200 (81) | Site of the farm where Abraham Lincoln was raised and the burial place of his mother, Mary Hanks Lincoln. |
| Lincoln Memorial | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1911 | 107 (45) | See Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial, monument, 107 acres (45 hectares), in Potomac Park, Washington, D.C.; built 1914–17. The building, designed by Henry Bacon and styled after a Greek temple, has 36 Doric columns representing the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac | MM | NE Va. | 1973 | 17 (7) | Grove of 500 white pines overlooking Potomac River vista of the capital. |
| Mount Rushmore | MM | SW S.Dak. | 1925 | 1,278 (518) | Carvings of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt on the granite face of Mt. Rushmore. |
| Oklahoma City | MM | Okla. | 1997 | 6 (2) | Site honoring the rescuers and victims killed in the Apr. 19, 1995, bombing of the Federal Building. |
| Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial | MM | N Ohio | 1936 | 25 (10) | Scene of the victory near Put-in Bay of Oliver H. Perry Perry, Oliver Hazard, 1785–1819, American naval officer, b. South Kingstown, R.I.; brother of Matthew Calbraith Perry. Appointed a midshipman in 1799, he served in the Tripolitan War, was promoted to lieutenant (1807), and from 1807 to 1809 was engaged in ..... Click the link for more information. in the War of 1812. |
| Roger Williams | MM | E R.I. | 1965 | 5 (2) | Memorial to Roger Williams Williams, Roger, c.1603–1683, clergyman, advocate of religious freedom, founder of Rhode Island , b. London. A protégé of Sir Edward Coke, he graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge, in 1627 and took Anglican orders. ..... Click the link for more information. , the founder of the Rhode Island colony and a pioneer of religious freedom. |
| Thaddeus Kosciuszko | MM | SE Pa. | 1972 | .02 (.01) | Commemorates the life and work of Thaddeus Kosciusko Kosciusko, Thaddeus (kŏs'ēŭs`kō), Pol. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Thomas Jefferson | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1934 | 18 (7) | See Thomas Jefferson Memorial Thomas Jefferson Memorial, monument, 18 acres (7 hectares), in East Potomac Park, on the Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C.; authorized by Congress 1934, built 1938–43, dedicated 1943. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| USS Arizona Memorial | MM | S Honolulu, Hawaii | 1980 | … | A memorial to American losses at Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor, land-locked harbor, on the southern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, W of Honolulu; one of the largest and best natural harbors in the E Pacific Ocean. In the vicinity are many U.S. military installations, including the chief U.S. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1980 | 2 (.8) | See Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam Veterans Memorial, war memorial in Washington, D.C., built 1982. Designed by the American sculptor and architect Maya Ying Lin, it is a sloping, V-shaped, 493-ft (150-m) wall of highly polished black granite that descends 10 feet (3. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Washington Monument | MM | Washington, D.C. | 1848 | 106 (43) | 555-ft (169-m) high obelisk honoring Washington. |
| Wright Brothers | MM | NE N.C. | 1927 | 428 (173) | Scene of the first (1903) successful flight of the Wright brothers. |
National Battlefields, Battlefield Parks, Battlefield Sites, and Military Parks | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Antietam | BF | Central Md. | 1890 | 3,223 (1,305) | See Antietam campaign Antietam campaign (ăntē`təm), Sept., 1862, of the Civil War. After the second battle of Bull Run , Gen. Robert E. ..... Click the link for more information. . Antietam (Sharpsburg) National Cemetery adjoins the park. |
| Big Hole | BF | SW Mont. | 1910 | 656 (266) | Scene of 1877 battle between U.S. troops and Nez Percé led by Chief Joseph. |
| Brices Cross Roads | BS | NE Miss. | 1929 | 1 (.4) | Site of a rout of Union troops by Confederate cavalry under General N. B. Forrest (June 10, 1864). |
| Chickamauga and Chattanooga | MP | Ga., Tenn. | 1890 | 8,129 (3,291) | Civil War battle sites; first national military park. |
| Cowpens | BF | NW S.C. | 1929 | 932 (377) | Site of an American militia victory over British infantry and cavalry forces in the Revolutionary War battle of Cowpens (Jan. 17, 1781). |
| Fort Donelson | BF | NW Tenn. | 1928 | 552 (224) | Site of first Union Army victory; Civil War cemetery. |
| Fort Necessity | BF | SW Pa. | 1931 | 903 (366) | George Washington's troops defeated here in 1754. |
| Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial | MP | NE Va. | 1927 | 7,924 (3,208) | Contains portions of four major Civil War battlefields (see Fredericksburg, battle of Fredericksburg, battle of, in the Civil War, fought Dec. 13, 1862, at Fredericksburg, Va. In Nov., 1862, the Union general Ambrose Burnside moved his three "grand divisions" under W. B. Franklin, E. V. ..... Click the link for more information. ) and a national cemetery. |
| Gettysburg | MP | S Pa. | 1895 | 5,984 (2,423) | Civil War battlefield and cemetery; site of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Gettysburg Address, speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of the national cemetery on the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa. It is one of the most famous and most quoted of modern speeches. ..... Click the link for more information. . See Gettysburg Gettysburg (gĕt`ēzbûrg'), borough (1990 pop. 7,025), seat of Adams co., S Pa.; inc. 1806. ..... Click the link for more information. , Pa. |
| Guilford Courthouse | MP | N N.C. | 1917 | 223 (90) | See Guilford Courthouse, battle of Guilford Courthouse, battle of, in the Carolina campaign of the American Revolution, fought Mar. 15, 1781. The site is included in a national military park near Greensboro, N.C. (see National Parks and Monuments , table). ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Horseshoe Bend | MP | E Ala. | 1956 | 2,040 (826) | See Horseshoe Bend Horseshoe Bend, a turn on the Tallapoosa River, near Dadeville, E central Ala., site of a battle on Mar. 27, 1814, in which the Creeks, led by chief William Weatherford , were significantly defeated by a militia under the command of Andrew Jackson. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Kennesaw Mountain | BP | NW Ga. | 1917 | 2,884 (1,168) | Site of Sherman's attack on the Confederate forces in the Atlanta campaign Atlanta campaign, May–Sept., 1864, of the U.S. Civil War. In the spring of 1864, Gen. W. T. Sherman concentrated the Union armies of G. H. Thomas, J. B. McPherson, and J. M. Schofield around Chattanooga. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Kings Mountain | MP | N S.C. | 1931 | 3,945 (1,598) | Site of a crucial American victory (Oct. 7, 1780) over the British during the Revolution. |
| Manassas | BP | NE Va. | 1940 | 5,072 (2,054) | See Bull Run Bull Run, small stream, NE Va., c.30 mi (50 km) SW of Washington, D.C. Two important battles of the Civil War were fought there: the first on July 21, 1861, and the second Aug. 29–30, 1862. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Monocacy | BF | W Md. | 1976 | 1,647 (667) | Site commemorates the first successful defense of Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. |
| Moores Creek | BF | SE N.C. | 1926 | 88 (36) | Site of a battle between Patriots and Loyalists. |
| Pea Ridge | MP | NW Ark. | 1956 | 4,300 (1,742) | Site of the Civil War battle of Pea Ridge Pea Ridge, chain of hills, NW Ark., where the Civil War battle of Pea Ridge (or Elkhorn Tavern) was fought Mar. 6–8, 1862. Earl Van Dorn, leading a large Confederate command, which included Sterling Price's retreating Missouri forces and Ben McCulloch's army, ..... Click the link for more information. , which saved Missouri for the Union. |
| Petersburg | BF | SE Va. | 1926 | 2,659 (1,077) | Scene of the Battle of the Crater and a 10-month Union campaign (1864–65) to seize Petersburg Petersburg, city (1990 pop. 38,386), politically independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Appomattox River; inc. 1850. A port of entry and an important tobacco market, it has industries producing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furniture, structural steel, lumber, ..... Click the link for more information. , Va. |
| Richmond | BP | E Va. | 1936 | 1,718 (696) | Commemorates Civil War battles of Cold Harbor, Drewry's Bluff, Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, and Beaver Dam Creek. |
| Shiloh | MP | SW Tenn. | 1894 | 3,973 (1,609) | Site of the Civil War battle of Shiloh Shiloh, battle of, Apr. 6–7, 1862, one of the great battles of the American Civil War. The battle took its name from Shiloh Church, a meetinghouse c.3 mi (5 km) SSW of Pittsburg Landing, which was a community in Hardin co., Tenn., 9 mi (14. ..... Click the link for more information. . Shiloh National Cemetery is there. |
| Stones River | BF | Central Tenn. | 1927 | 713 (289) | See Murfreesboro Murfreesboro (mûr`frēzbûr'ə), city (1990 pop. 44,922), seat of Rutherford co., central Tenn., on Stones River; inc. 1817. ..... Click the link for more information. , Tenn. Site of Stones River National Cemetery. |
| Tupelo | BF | NE Miss. | 1929 | 1 (.4) | See Tupelo Tupelo (t`pĭlō, ty ..... Click the link for more information. , Miss. |
| Vicksburg | MP | W Miss. | 1899 | 1,740 (704) | Site of the Vicksburg campaign Vicksburg campaign, in the American Civil War, the fighting (Nov., 1862–July, 1863) for control of the Mississippi River. The Union wanted such control in order to split the Confederacy and to restore free commerce to the politically important Northwest. ..... Click the link for more information. of the Civil War and Vicksburg National Cemetery. |
| Wilson's Creek | BF | Missouri | 1960 | 1,750 (709) | Site of first major Civil War engagement west of the Mississippi. |
National Preserves and Reserves | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Bering Land Bridge | PS | NW Alaska | 1978 | 2,697,639 (1,092,162) | Remnant of land bridge that connected Alaska with Asia. |
| Big Cypress | PA | S Fla. | 1974 | 720,570 (291,729) | Subtropical plant and animal life; ancestral home of Seminole and Miccosukee peoples. |
| Big Thicket | PS | SE Tex. | 1974 | 97,191 (39,349) | Large number of plant and animal species. |
| City of Rocks | NR | Idaho | 1988 | 14,107 (5,711) | Granite spires, sculptured rock formations. |
| Ebey's Landing | NR | Whidbey Island, Wash. | 1978 | 19,000 (7,695) | Records exploration and settlement of Puget Sound. |
| Little River Canyon | PS | NE Ala. | 1992 | 13,633 (5,519) | Rock expanses, benches, and bluffs; kayaking and rock climbing. |
| Mojave | PS | S Calif. | 1994 | 1,508,045 (610,545) | Dunes, cinder cones, historic mining scenes; protects fragile habitat of the desert tortoise. |
| Noatak | PS | Alaska | 1978 | 6,569,904 (2,660,811) | Mountain-ringed river basin. |
| Tallgrass Prairie | PS | E Kansas | 1996 | 10,894 (4,411) | Preserve protecting surviving remnant of the tallgrass ecosystem. |
| Timucan Ecological and Historic Preserve | PS | Fla. | 1988 | 46,019 (18,631) | Atlantic coastal marshes, islands, tidal creeks. |
| Yukon-Charley Rivers | PS | E central Alaska | 1978 | 2,526,512 (1,022,879) | Peregrine falcons, 1898 Gold Rush relics. |
National Recreation Areas | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Amistad | RA | S Tex. | 1965 | 58,500 (23,693) | U.S. part of Amistad Reservoir, on the Rio Grande. |
| Bighorn Canyon | RA | Mont., Wyo. | 1966 | 120,296 (48,720) | Yellowtail Dam and spectacular Bighorn Canyon, on the Bighorn Bighorn, river, 461 mi (741 km) long, formed in W central Wyo. by the confluence of the Wind and Pop Agie rivers and flowing north to join the Yellowstone River in S Mont. ..... Click the link for more information. River. |
| Boston Harbor Islands | RA | E Mass. | 1996 | 1,482 (600) | More than 30 islands off the Greater Boston coast. |
| Chattahoochie River | RA | Georgia | 1978 | 9,260 (3,750) | Series of historic and recreational sites along the Chattahoochie River. |
| Chickasaw | RA | S Okla. | 1976 | 9,889 (4,005) | Mineral springs, streams, and lakes. Name honors Chickasaw Nation; combination of former Platt National Park and Arbuckle National Recreation Area. |
| Curecanti | RA | E Colo. | 1965 | 41,972 (16,993) | Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal reservoirs in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison. |
| Cuyahoga Valley | RA | NE Ohio | 1974 | 32,859 (13,303) | Preserves rural character of Cuyahoga River Valley. |
| Delaware Water Gap | RA | N.J., Pa. | 1965 | 66,756 (27,027) | Scenic Delaware Water Gap Delaware Water Gap (dĕl`əwâr, –wər), scenic gorge, 2 mi (3. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Gateway | RA | N.Y., N.J. | 1972 | 26,610 (10,773) | Beaches, marshes, islands, and waters in and around New York City. One of the first two national urban recreation areas. |
| Gauley River | RA | W Va. | 1988 | 11,342 (4,592) | Passes through scenic valleys and gorges; whitewater boating. |
| Glen Canyon | RA | Ariz., Utah | 1958 | 1,254,306 (507,816) | Lake Powell, formed by the Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (see National Parks and Monuments , table). Downstream is the Glen Canyon Bridge, 1,271 ft (387 m) long and 700 ft (213 m) high, one of the world's longest and highest steel-arch bridges. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Golden Gate | RA | W Calif. | 1972 | 73,688 (29,833) | Beaches, forests, marshes, San Francisco's Presidio, and Alcatraz Alcatraz (ăl`kətrăz') [Sp. Álcatraces=pelicans], rocky island in San Francisco Bay, W Calif, about one mile (1. ..... Click the link for more information. Island. One of the first two national urban recreation areas. |
| Lake Chelan | RA | N Wash. | 1968 | 61,958 (25,084) | Located in the Stehekin Valley and in the northern part of fjordlike Lake Chelan Chelan, Lake (shəlăn`), 55 mi (89 km) long and from 1 to 2 mi (1.6–3. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Lake Mead | RA | Ariz., Nev. | 1936 | 1,495,666 (605,745) | Lake Mead Mead, Lake, 247 sq mi (640 sq km), on the Nev.-Ariz. border, formed by Hoover Dam across the Colorado River. The lake is 115 mi (185 km) long, from 1 to 8 mi (1.6–12. ..... Click the link for more information. , formed by Hoover Dam, and Lake Mohave, formed by Davis Dam; the first national recreation area established by Congress. |
| Lake Meredith | RA | NW Tex. | 1965 | 44,978 (18,216) | Includes Lake Meredith, on the Canadian River, a popular water-sports area. |
| Lake Roosevelt | RA | NE Wash. | 1946 | 100,390 (40,658) | Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, formed by the Grand Coulee Dam Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, 130 sq mi (337 sq km), which extends to the Canadian border; it is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Power generated at the dam is used to pump water into Grand Coulee, a vertical-walled gorge, c. ..... Click the link for more information. in the Columbia River; interesting geology. |
| Ross Lake | RA | N Wash. | 1968 | 117,575 (47,618) | Extends along the Skagit River canyon; bisects North Cascades National Park. |
| Santa Monica Mountains | RA | SW Calif. | 1978 | 153,824 (62,277) | Rugged, chaparral-covered landscape fronting on sandy beaches. |
| Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity | RA | N Calif. | 1965 | 42,503 (17,214) | Reservoirs, forestland, and Whiskeytown Falls; the National Park Service runs the Whiskeytown unit, and the Forest Service administers the Shasta and Trinity units. |
National Rivers | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Alagnak | WS | SW Alaska | 1980 | 30,665 (12,415) | White water and salmon fishing. |
| Big South Fork | RR | Ky., Tenn. | 1976 | 125,242 (50,705) | Scenic gorges and valleys. |
| Bluestone | WS | SW W.Va. | 1988 | 4,310 (1,745) | Fishing, hiking, boating, and scenery. |
| Buffalo | RI | NW Ark. | 1972 | 94,292 (38,175) | 136-mi (219-km) stretch of the Buffalo River and its valley; the first national river. |
| Delaware | WS | N.J.-Pa. | 1978 | 1,973 (799) | Swimming, boating, and fishing on Delaware River through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. |
| Great Egg Harbor | WS | SW N.J. | 1992 | … | 129 mi (208 km) long; largest canoeing river in the Pine Barrens. |
| Lower St. Croix | WS | E Minn., NW Wis. | 1972 | 25,279 (10,234) | First river segment added by Congress to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. |
| Mississippi River | RR | Minn. | 1988 | 53,775 (21,779) | Cultural, historical, and industrial features of the Mississippi River. |
| Missouri | WS | S.Dak. to Neb. | 1978 | … | Two free-flowing portions of Missouri River with islands, bars, and chutes; native floodplain forest. |
| New River Gorge | RI | W Va. | 1978 | 69,834 (28,273) | Rugged whitewater river flows through deep canyons. |
| Niobrara | WS | N Nebr. | 1991 | … | Ecological crossroads between eastern woodlands and western grasslands. |
| Obed | WS | E Tenn. | 1976 | 5,173 (2,094) | Numerous streams and rugged scenery. |
| Ozark | WS | Mo. | 1964 | 80,786 (32,707) | Scenic parts of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers; the first national scenic river. |
| Rio Grande | WS | S Tex. | 1978 | 9,600 (3,888) | 191-mi (307-km) strip of land on the U.S. shore of the Rio Grande in the Chihuahuan Desert. |
| Saint Croix | WS | Minn., Wis. | 1968 | 67,483 (27,321) | 200 mi (322 km) of the St. Croix River and its Namekagon tributary; trails, camping, boating. |
| Upper Delaware | WS | Pa., N.Y. | 1978 | 75,005 (30,366) | Fishing and boating. |
National Lakeshores and Seashores | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Apostle Islands | LS | NW Wis. | 1970 | 69,372 (28,096) | Apostle Islands Apostle Islands, group of more than 20 wooded islands, in Lake Superior, off N Wis. Madeline, 13 mi (21 km) long, is the largest island and has the group's only settlement, La Pointe. ..... Click the link for more information. and a strip of the Bayfield Peninsula, on the south shore of Lake Superior. |
| Assateague Island | SS | Md., Va. | 1965 | 39,723 (16,082) | 37-mi (60-km) barrier island; beaches; wildlife refuge including wild ponies. |
| Canaveral | SS | E Fla. | 1975 | 57,662 (23,353) | Barrier island dunes and marshland that includes a wildlife refuge. |
| Cape Cod | SS | SE Mass. | 1961 | 43,685 (17,686) | See Cape Cod Cape Cod Canal passes. This lockless canal, 17.5 mi (28.2 km) long, 32 ft (10 m) deep, was built (1910–14) from private funds and purchased by the U.S. government in 1927; it accommodates oceangoing vessels and cuts the distance between New York City and Boston by 75 mi (121 ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Cape Hatteras | SS | E N.C. | 1937 | 30,321 (12,276) | The first national seashore. See under Hatteras, Cape Cape Hatteras National Seashore (30,319 acres/12,279 hectares; est. 1937), a vast expanse of sand and water, is made up of Hatteras, Bodie, and Ocracoke islands and comprises one of the largest stretches of undeveloped seashore on the U.S. Atlantic coast. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Cape Lookout | SS | E N.C. | 1966 | 28,243 (11,438) | Three barrier islands with beaches, sand dunes, and salt marshes; Cape Lookout Lighthouse. |
| Cumberland Island | SS | SE Ga. | 1972 | 36,415 (14,748) | Largest island off Georgia; beaches, sand dunes, marshes, and lakes. |
| Fire Island | SS | SE N.Y. | 1964 | 19,579 (7,929) | Covers section of Fire Island Fire Island, barrier beach, 32 mi (52 km) long, off the south shore of Long Island, SE N.Y., separating Great South Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Robert Moses State Park is at its west end. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Gulf Islands | SS | Fla., Miss. | 1971 | 137,458 (55,651) | Historic forts and white sand beaches near Pensacola, Fla.; Fort Massachusetts and primitive offshore islands in S Miss. |
| Indiana Dunes | LS | NW Ind. | 1966 | 15,138 (6,129) | 200-ft (60-m) sand dunes, beaches, and marshes along the south shore of Lake Michigan. |
| Padre Island | SS | S Tex. | 1962 | 130,434 (52,826) | See Padre Island Padre Island (päd`rē, păd`rē), low, sandy island, c.115 mi (185 km) long, less than 3 mi (4.8 km) wide, S Tex. ..... Click the link for more information. , Tex. |
| Pictured Rocks | LS | N Mich. | 1966 | 73,228 (29,657) | Sandstone cliffs, marshes, dunes, and waterfalls along Lake Superior; the first national lakeshore. |
| Point Reyes | SS | W Calif. | 1962 | 71,068 (28,772) | Coastal area with beaches and steep bluffs. |
| Sleeping Bear Dunes | LS | W central Mich. | 1970 | 71,196 (28,824) | Section of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the North and South Manitoulin islands; beaches, sand dunes, forests. |
Other Areas | |||||
| Name | Type1 | Location | Year authorized | Size
acres (hectares) |
Description |
| Appalachian | ST | Maine, N.H., Vt., Mass., Conn., N.Y., N.J., Pa., Md., W.Va., Va., Tenn., N.C., Ga. | 1968 | 214,528 (86,853) | See Appalachian Trail International Appalachian Trail, a 690-mi (1,110-km) extension of the trail north and east from Mt. Katahdin into New Brunswick and Quebec to Cape Gaspé, was dedicated. Sections of this trail pass through Canadian national and provincial parks. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Blue Ridge | PW | Va., N.C. | 1936 | 88,689 (35,906) | Scenic route in the Blue Ridge Mts. between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mts. national parks; many roadside parks, lookouts, and trails; the first national parkway. |
| California | HT | Missouri River to Calif. and Oreg. | 1992 | … | Former migration route extending 5,600 mi (9,010 km) from the Missouri River to California and Oregon. |
| Catoctin Mountain Park | PO | NW Md. | 1936 | 5,770 (2,337) | Campgrounds, trails, and scenic drive located in the Catoctin Mts.; Camp David, the presidential retreat, is there. |
| Constitution Gardens | PO | Washington, D.C. | 1978 | 52 (21) | Memorial to the signers of the Declaration of Independence. |
| Continental Divide | ST | Mont., Idaho, Wyo., Colo., N.Mex. | 1978 | 3,200 (1,296) | Runs the length of the Rocky Mountains. |
| Florida | ST | S Fla. | 1983 | … | Subtropical plant and animal life along 1,300-mi (2,092-km) trail. |
| Fort Washington Park | PO | Washington, D.C. | 1930 | 341 (138) | 19th-century fort. |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway | PW | Va., D.C., Md. | 1930 | 7,248 (2,935) | Parkway connecting landmarks associated with the life of George Washington along both sides of the Potomac River from Mt. Vernon to Great Falls. |
| Greenbelt | PO | N Md. | 1950 | 1,176 (476) | Woodland park. |
| Ice Age | ST | S Wis. | 1980 | … | 100-mi (161-km) trail follows glacial moraines. |
| Iditarod | HT | Alaska | 1978 | … | Former Alaska Gold Rush trail extending 2,350 mi (3,781 km) from Seward to Nome. |
| John D. Rockefeller, Jr. | PW | NW Wyo. | 1972 | 23,777 (9,622) | Scenic corridor between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks commemorating Rockefeller's role in the creation of many national parks. |
| Juan Bautista de Anza | HT | W Calif. | 1990 | … | 1,200-mi (1,931-km) trail traces the path of Spanish colonists. |
| Lewis and Clark | HT | Mo., Neb., S.Dak., N.Dak., Mont., Idaho, Oreg. | 1978 | … | 3,700-mi (5,953-km) historic trail commemorates the Lewis and Clark expedition. |
| Mormon Pioneer | HT | Ill., Mo., Kans., Colo., Utah | 1978 | … | Historic trail follows the route taken by Brigham Young and his followers in 1847–48. |
| Natchez Trace | ST | Miss., Tenn. | 1983 | 10,995 (4,453) | Trail extends from Nashville, Tenn., to Natchez, Miss. |
| Natchez Trace | PW | Miss., Ala., Tenn. | 1938 | 51,748 (20,958) | Parkway following the general location of the old trail known as the Natchez Trace Natchez Trace Parkway and Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail memorialize and generally follow the old Natchez Trace. Meriwether Lewis Park and Ackia Battleground (now called Chickasaw Village), both former national monuments, were incorporated into Natchez Trace ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| National Capital Parks | PO | D.C., Va., Md. | 1790 | 6,544 (2,649) | More than 300 parks, parkways, and military fortifications in and around Washington, D.C. |
| National Mall | PO | Washington, D.C. | 1933 | 146 (59) | Landscaped park, part of the L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C. |
| Nez Percé | HT | Oregon, Idaho, Mont., Wyo. | 1986 | … | 1,170-mi (1,883-km) trail commemorates the retreat of the Nez Percé under Chief Joseph Joseph (Chief Joseph), c.1840–1904, chief of a group of Nez Percé . On his father's death in 1871, Joseph became leader of one of the groups that refused to leave the land ceded to the United States by the fraudulently obtained treaty of 1863. ..... Click the link for more information. in 1877. |
| North Country | ST | N.Y. to N.Dak. | 1980 | … | Extends 3,200 mi (5,149 km), connecting seven northern tier states. |
| Oregon | HT | Mo. to Oreg. | 1978 | … | Traces the c.2,000-mi (3,200-km) route of pioneers in 1841–60. |
| Overmountain Victory | HT | Tenn., Va., N.C., S.C. | 1980 | … | Follows the 300-mi (483-km) path of revolutionary Patriots. |
| Pacific Crest | ST | Calif., Oreg., Wash. | 1968 | … | Follows the Sierra and Cascade peaks 2,638 mi (4,245 km) from Mexico to Canada; along with the Appalachian Trail one of the two initial components of the National Trails System. |
| Piscataway Park | PO | S Md. | 1961 | 4,486 (1,816) | Preserves the view from Mt. Vernon of the opposite shore of the Potomac River. |
| Pony Express | HT | Mo., Kans., Colo., Utah, Nev., Calif. | 1992 | … | Follows the 1,966-mi (3,163-km) route of the pony express riders in 1860–61. |
| Potomac Heritage | ST | Va., D.C., Md., Pa. | 1983 | … | 704-mi (1,133-km) trail connects the tidewater regions to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. |
| Prince William Forest Park | PO | NE Va. | 1936 | 18,572 (7,522) | Pine and hardwood forests of the Quantico Creek watershed. |
| Rock Creek Park | PO | Washington, D.C. | 1890 | 1,754 (710) | Wooded preserve, one of the largest urban parks in the nation. |
| Santa Fe | HT | Mo., Kans., Okla., Col., N.Mex. | 1987 | … | Traces the 1,203-mi (1,936-km) route of famous Santa Fe Trail. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Island | PO | Washington, D.C., Va. | 1932 | 89 (36) | Wilderness preserve in the Potomac River; a tribute to the "conservationist president." |
| Trail of Tears | HT | N.C., Tenn., Ga., Ala., Ark., Okla. | 1987 | … | 2,200-mi (3,540-km) trail commemorates the routes of forced migration of more than 15,000 Cherokee from their ancestral homes. |
| White House | PO | Washington, D.C. | 1933 | 18 (7) | See White House White House, official name of the executive mansion of the President of the United States. It is on the south side of Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C., facing Lafayette Square. The building, constructed of Virginia freestone, is of simple and stately design. ..... Click the link for more information. . |
| Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts | PO | N Va. | 1966 | 130 (53) | Set in a rolling, wooded landscaped area to provide artistic enjoyment and recreation; the first national park for the performing arts. |
1BF
Battlefield BP
Battlefield Park BS
Battlefield Site HP
Historical Park HS
Historic Site HT
Historic Trail IS
International Historic Site LS
Lakeshore MM
Memorial MO
Monument MP
Military Park MR
Monument and Preserve NR
Reserve NP
Park PA
Preserve and Addition PE
Park and Expansion PO
Park, other PP
Park and Preserve PS
Preserve PW
Parkway RA
Recreation Area RI
River RR
River and Recreation Area SS
Seashore ST
Scenic Trail WS
Wild or Scenic River or Riverway
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|