The National Parks System includes 63 parks and 400 smaller preserved sites

People spent more than a billion hours visiting National Park System sites in 2025, which include national parks, monuments, seashores, and more.

National parks, explained

Roughly 83 million acres of the United States are set aside as federal National Parks land, an area large as Germany. From the original Yellowstone Park to small monuments and memorials, learn the essentials on this portion of America dedicated to public enjoyment and recreation with our quick explainer video.

The National Parks System is a popular attraction in the US

More than 16 billion people have visited the US National Park System since 1904. Curious about how something like World War II affected park visitation? This table of annual recreational visits spans the early 20th century through 2023, demonstrating the slow-but-steady rise in visitors over the decades.

Every type of US national park, explained

Ever wonder what kinds of sites comprise the US National Park System? Using the recent re-designation of New River Gorge as a national park as a jumping-off point, this engaging video breaks down the 19 different designations within the National Park System. This includes parks, reserves, monuments, and scenic trails.

The entire National Park System is located on public lands, but not all public lands are national parks.

National parks require numerous items of interest

To be designated a national park, an area must have various scenic, inspirational, educational, and recreational items of interest. A national monument designation requires only one item of interest and is usually reserved for smaller areas with particular historical, cultural, and/or scientific relevance.

The National Park Service responded to the postwar influx of visitors with a massive project

Visit global national parks from your living room

Get your fill of incredible scenery with this collection of 17 different virtual tours of national parks. Catch the Northern Lights over Abisko National Park in Sweden, or explore the famous red sand dunes of Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park

The Tennessee park attracted more than 12 million visitors in 2024, nearly three times the amount Zion National Park, the number two most popular park, brought in. The least visited park was the famously remote Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, which posted only 11,907 visitors.

The real stories behind America's national parks

The history and impact of national parks is complex. The authors of "Olmsted and Yosemite: Civil War, Abolition, and The National Park Idea" curated this list of nonfiction books examining American national parks from a variety of perspectives.

The best national parks in America for wildlife spotting

Park-goers hoping to catch a glimpse of local wildlife can turn to this breakdown of animal-related data from the National Park Service. Birdwatchers should visit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, which has the highest density of bird types at 194 species per 100km². Interested in marine life? Head to Biscayne National Park in Florida to find nearly 700 species of colorful fish in crystal-clear waters.

Watch city kids encounter the national parks

Part of Ken Burns’ "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea" film series, this video follows students from Las Vegas and Miami as they visit national parks. In Death Valley, the students get hands-on lessons in geology, while in Biscayne, they canoe through secluded groves and past coral reefs.

Listen to a podcast about the eerie side of national parks

Although the National Park System is a relatively recent invention, the lands it includes have been around since the dawn of time and, as a result, have accumulated some interesting folklore. This podcast walks you through some of the best legends about the parks.

Markers along the Underground Railroad

An interactive map of all National Park Service designated sites that were part of the Underground Railroad, helping shuttle escaped enslaved people to freedom.

Permanent staff at National Park Service dropped nearly a quarter in 2025, impacting various aspects of park life.

Explore landforms that exist across America's national parks

Landforms are not just scenic vistas; they are geological storytellers that shape ecosystems, climates, and our understanding of Earth's history. In this comprehensive look at landforms from the National Park Service, you will learn not only about different types of American landforms, but you will understand how these geological features are shaped by various forces, how they reveal an area's geological history, and how they influence climate and ecology.

Explore a collection of galleries of pollinators found in national parks

Many of the photographs were taken during pollinator inventories in national parks across the US. Although these inventories often focus on bees and butterflies, the collection also features beetles, moths, spiders, and birds that transfer pollen as they move from bloom to bloom.

The 15 most beautiful caves in the United States

The United States is home to more than 45,000 caves, including many with National Parks designation, like Wind Cave (in South Dakota) and Carlsbad Caverns (in New Mexico). This list of the 15 best isn't just for spelunkers—all of these sites are available for more typical tourists, so long as they have a good pair of shoes.

States have stepped in to keep national parks open during shutdowns

National parks typically close during federal shutdowns, but in 2023, Arizona and Utah planned to use state funds to keep parks open—highlighting how shutdowns can disrupt tourism and local economies.

Explore how close you live to some of the most contaminated places in the US

Known as Superfund sites, these toxic locations undergo long-term cleanup to remove hazardous waste, protect health, and restore land for safe reuse. As of 2025, the EPA lists around 1,300 active Superfund sites on its National Priorities List, with more than 450 cleaned and removed since 1980.

As of 2023, there are about 1.1 billion objects stored in 73 of the world's largest natural history museums, but only about 16% of specimens are available in digital archives.

Take a tour of the Museum of Natural History

Opened in 1910 on the Mall, the National Museum of Natural History is among the Smithsonian's oldest museums. Its scientists steward more than 148 million objects and specimens—making it the largest natural history collection on Earth.

In 2024, 332 million visitors to America's national parks spent an estimated $29B in local surrounding economies.

National parks boost local economies, but they can also harm local land

Increased tourism and job creation are big wins for the small towns outside national parks, but the influx of visitors can also have negative effects, including wildlife destruction and overdevelopment.

There are over 20,000 trees on the National Mall

Nearly 4,000 of the Mall's trees are cherry trees, all maintained by a small National Park Service arborist team that provides year-round, science-based care to address soil compaction, root damage, and heavy visitor traffic.

The creation of the parks often involved displacing Native tribes

Early parks like Yellowstone, Glacier, and Yosemite involved the removal of tribal communities like the Shoshone, Crow, and Nez Percé, undermining the popular narrative that parks preserved an uninhabited wilderness.

Explore the full list of over 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage sites, broken down by country.

Learn about the plant and animal species in every US county that are federally protected under the US Endangered Species Act with this interactive map.

The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex

With 21 museums and the National Zoo, the Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum complex. Eleven of those museums sit directly on the National Mall, and all offer free admission to the public.

See a map of the Maya civilization and its major historical sites

This interactive map showcases the full geographic extent of the Maya civilization, highlighting major archaeological sites across Mexico and Central America. Explore where Maya cities once stood—and where their ruins can still be visited today.

Yellowstone was the world's first national park

Before it was designated as such, it was home to 27 Indigenous tribes, including the Blackfeet, Crow, and Nez Perce. European trappers and traders traveling west were entranced by the area’s stunning beauty and natural resources, fueling a push for the government to preserve the land for future generations.

Ansel Adams' 20th-century photographs of national parks captured the majesty of a growing National Park System.

Hear the story of the early American environmentalists who shaped the public lands we enjoy today.

The 52-mile marvel of engineering inside Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is home to over one million acres of natural beauty, but it also includes 52 miles of a manmade miracle in Going-to-the-Sun Road, which takes drivers on a majestic tour through some of the park's most breathtaking views. This brief history and photo gallery allows you to gain an appreciation for the incredible engineering behind the road’s construction.

American archaeology has a complicated legacy

Many national parks were discovered through American archaeological expeditions and, consequently, included the looting of Native American cultural sites and artifacts.

Explore the wineries of Napa Valley with an interactive map of its hundreds of wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms.

Nearly 99% of the Smithsonian's specimens are hidden in high-security

At the National Museum of Natural History, nearly 99% of its 147 million specimens are stored in secure research collections rather than on display, where they are actively used for scientific work ranging from tracking invasive species to improving aviation safety.

The National Mall hosts one of the country's largest July Fourth fireworks shows

Each Independence Day, the National Mall hosts a massive fireworks display coordinated by the National Park Service, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to the nation's capital.

How one biologist drew a national park's definitive map

Long before GPS, biologist John Cely mapped the swampy terrain of South Carolina's Congaree National Park by hand, and mostly from memory. The map was so accurate, it became the preferred resource for the park's rangers. This Atlas Obscura article explores how Cely acquainted himself with the park's particulars and how the map grew from an unofficial peculiarity into the park's definitive guide.

Check out an interactive map of 250 American places worth visiting before you die.

Yellowstone National Park is situated atop an active supervolcano

Yellowstone showcases geothermal phenomena, including the famous Old Faithful geyser and the vibrant Grand Prismatic Spring. The park's unique geological and ecological features make it an exceptional destination for visitors from around the globe.

Some tribes push for national parks to be under Indigenous control

Ojibwe author and academic David Treuer talks about his push for 80 million acres of American national park land to be returned to Indigenous stewards. Treuer proposes the government grant control of this land to a consortium of tribes, which would maintain and manage it for use by all Americans.

The 1950s saw the rise of the modern American road trip

Explore a map of global native lands

This interactive map visualizes Indigenous territories across the world. Users can search by location, language, or tribe to explore the histories, cultures, and present-day communities connected to specific lands.

America's most underrated places to visit

The United States is vast, with beautiful and fascinating cultural hubs, landmarks, and natural wonders to fill a lifetime of travel. These landmarks can be well-known and top everyone's bucket list, or they can fly under-the-radar. Here's a list of...

Explore Pompeii with an interactive map packed with 60+ key sites

This tool provides detailed information on major landmarks—from the Villa of Mysteries to the House of the Tragic Poet—and suggests themed walking routes based on visit length. A companion app adds virtual reconstructions and a full audioguide.

See how food access varies across America with these interactive maps that show grocery store proximity.

The Leopold Report was an early blueprint for ecosystem management

The 1963 report, officially known as Wildlife Management in the National Parks, recommended wildlife management and ecological preservation. In 2012, a follow-up report built upon the original paper to guide future park service policies based on scientific findings.

Explore a gallery of space-based images and animations of Earth

This collection compiles shots of well-known locations, such as US national parks, and natural features, including aurora borealis and fall foliage, to provide a high-level view of Earth's surface.

Reimagine damaged cultural sites from around the world

NeoMam art studios created animated GIFs restoring six endangered World Heritage sites to their original glory. These include Hatra, a fortified city in Iraq, and Nan Madol, an island site in the northwest Pacific. These landmarks are designated as at risk due to threats like earthquakes and conflict in the regions. Enjoy some of the beautifully restored landmarks with this brief article.