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National Park System

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act" creating the National Park Service, a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for maintaining national parks and monuments that were then managed by the department. The National Park System has since expanded to 433 units (often referred to as parks), more than 150 related areas, and numerous programs that assist in conserving the nation's natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations.

Units/Parks

The National Park Service manages 433 individual units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. While there are at least 19naming designations, these units are commonly referred to as "parks." Multiple parks may be managed together as an administrative unit within the National Park Service. (See more information aboutrecent changes in the National Park System andpark anniversaries.)

National Military Parks (9)

National Historical Parks (64)

National Historic Sites (75)

International Historic Sites (1)

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, Maine

National Lakeshores (3)

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

National Memorials (31)

National Monuments (87)

National Parks (63)

National Parkways (4)

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia
George Washington Memorial Parkway, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, Wyoming
Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi

National Preserves (19)

National Reserves (2)

City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Washington

National Recreation Areas (18)

National Rivers (4)

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Kentucky and Tennessee
Buffalo National River, Arkansas
Mississippi National River and Recreation Areas, Minnesota
Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

National Wild and Scenic Rivers (10)

Alagnak Wild River, Alaska
Bluestone National Scenic River, West Virginia
Middle Delaware National Scenic River, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River, New Jersey
Missouri National Recreational River, Nebraska and South Dakota
Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska
Obed Wild and Scenic River, Tennessee
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, Texas
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, New York and Pennsylvania

National Scenic Trails (6)

Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Maine to Georgia (14 states)
Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Wisconsin
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee
New England National Scenic Trail, Massachusetts to Connecticut
North Country National Scenic Trail, Vermont to North Dakota (8 states)
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

National Seashores (10)

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland and Virginia
Canaveral National Seashore, Florida
Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina
Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina
Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
Fire Island National Seashore, New York
Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi
Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Other Designations (11)

Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland
Constitution Gardens, District of Columbia
Fort Washington Park, Maryland
Greenbelt Park, Maryland
National Capital Parks - East, District of Columbia
National Mall and Memorial Parks, District of Columbia
Piscataway Park, Maryland
Prince William Forest Park, Virginia
Rock Creek Park, District of Columbia
The White House and President's Park, District of Columbia
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Virginia

Related Areas

Related areas are linked in importance and purpose to places managed directly by the National Park Service by preserving important segments of the nation's natural and cultural heritage. They are designated by acts of Congress or by the Secretary of the Interior (affiliated areas). The majority of related areas are not units of the National Park Service and are managed by other government agencies or non-government organizations and landowners. The National Park Service is involved in related areas by directly managing the entire or sections of a related area, or by providing technical or financial assistance.

Affiliated Areas (32)

Aleutian World War II National Historic Area, Alaska
American Memorial Park, Saipan
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, Pennsylvania
Chicago Portage National Historic Site, Illinois
Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Nebraska
Claymont Community Center, Delaware
Eutaw Springs Battlefield, South Carolina
Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site, Ohio
Father Marquette National Memorial, Michigan
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site, Pennsylvania
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District, Virginia
Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, South Carolina
Hockessin Colored School #107, Delaware
Howard High School of Technology, Delaware
Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, Wisconsin
International Peace Garden, North Dakota and Canada
Inupiat Heritage Center, Alaska
Jamestown National Historic Site, Virginia
John Philip Sousa Middle School, District of Columbia
Kate Mullany National Historic Site, New York
Kettle Creek Battlefield, Georgia
Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site, New York
Natural Bridge State Park, Virginia
Oklahoma City National Memorial, Oklahoma
Parkers Crossroads Battlefield, Tennessee
Pinelands National Reserve, New Jersey
Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial, Virginia
Robert Russa Moton Museum, Virginia
Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Canada
Thomas Cole National Historic Site, New York
Touro Synagogue National Historic Site, Rhode Island
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Washington

Authorized Areas (5)

Adams Memorial, District of Columbia
Coltsville National Historical Park, Connecticut
Desert Storm/Desert Shield Memorial, District of Columbia
Global War on Terrorism Memorial, District of Columbia
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site, Illinois

Co-Managed Areas (1)

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (Bureau of Land Management unit co-managed with National Park Service)

Commemorative Sites (3)

Charleston National Commemorative Site, Arkansas
Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site, Indiana
Quindaro Townsite, Kansas

National Heritage Areas (55)

Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, Illinois
America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership (Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area), Iowa
Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, Maryland and West Virginia
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Georgia
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, Louisiana
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, Georgia
Baltimore National Heritage Area, Maryland
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, North Carolina
Cache La Poudre River National Heritage Area, Colorado
Cane River National Heritage Area, Louisiana
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership, New York and Vermont
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, New Jersey
Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Pennsylvania
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, New York
Essex National Heritage Area, Massachusetts
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, Kansas and Missouri
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Great Basin National Heritage Route, Nevada and Utah
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, Illinois
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area, Alaska
Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, Washington
Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River National Heritage Area, New York
Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, Mississippi
Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area, Mississippi
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, Utah
MotorCities National Heritage Area, Michigan
Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, Washington
Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, Alabama
National Aviation National Heritage Area, Ohio
National Coal National Heritage Area, West Virginia
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, New York
Northern Plains National Heritage Area, North Dakota
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, New Mexico
Ohio and Erie National Heritage Canalway, Ohio
Oil Region National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, California
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, Colorado
Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, Arizona
Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, Virginia
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, South Carolina
South Park National Heritage Area, Colorado
Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Heritage Route (Paths of Progress National Heritage Route), Pennsylvania
Susquehanna National Heritage Area, Pennsylvania
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Tennessee
The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, Connecticut and Massachusetts
Upper Housantonic Valley National Heritage Area, Connecticut and Massachusetts
Wheeling National Heritage Area, West Virginia
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, Arizona

National Trails System (32)

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Hawaii
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Maine to Georgia
Arizona National Scenic Trail, Arizona
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail, Arkansas to California (7 states)
California National Historic Trail, Missouri to Oregon
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, New York to Virginia
Chilkoot National Historic Trail, Alaska
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Montana to New Mexico
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail, Louisiana to Texas
El Camino de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, New Mexico to Texas
Florida National Scenic Trail, Florida
Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Wisconsin
Iditarod National Historic Trail, Alaska
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, California
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Pennsylvania to Washington (16 states)
Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, Illinois to Utah
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, Mississippi to Tennessee
New England National Scenic Trail, Massachusetts to Connecticut
Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail, Montana to Oregon
North Country National Scenic Trail, Vermont to North Dakota (8 states)
Old Spanish National Historic Trail, California to New Mexico
Oregon National Historic Trail, Missouri to Oregon
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, South Carolina to Virginia
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Washington to California
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, Montana to Washington
Pony Express National Historic Trail, Missouri to California
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, Virginia to Pennsylvania
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Missouri to New Mexico
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, Alabama
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, Georgia to Oklahoma
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, Massachusetts to Virginia

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (50)

Alagnak Wild River, Alaska
Alatna Wild River, Alaska
Aniakchak Wild River, Alaska
Bluestone National Scenic River, West Virginia
Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River, Colorado
Charley Wild River, Alaska
Chilikadrotna Wild River, Alaska
Eightmile National Wild and Scenic River, Connecticut
Farmington National Wild and Scenic River, Connecticut
Flathead River, Montana
Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River, New Jersey
Housatonic Wild and Scenic River, Connecticut
John Wild River, Alaska
Kern River, California
Kings River, California
Kobuk Wild River, Alaska
Lamprey Wild and Scenic River, New Hampshire
Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic River, New Jersey to Pennsylvania
Lower Farmington and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Rivers, Connecticut
Maurice Scenic and Recreational River, New Jersey
Merced River, California
Middle Delaware River, New Jersey to Pennsylvania
Missisquoi and Trout National Wild and Scenic River, Vermont
Missouri National Recreational River, South Dakota to Nebraska
Mulchatna Wild River, Alaska
Musconetcong National Wild and Scenic River, New Jersey
Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Wild and Scenic Rivers, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska
Noatak Wild River, Alaska
North Fork of the Koyukuk Wild River, Alaska
Obed Wild and Scenic River, Tennessee
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, Texas
River Styx Wild and Scenic River, Oregon
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Wisconsin to Minnesota
Salmon Wild River, Alaska
Snake River Headwaters Wild and Scenic River, Wyoming
Sudbury, Assabet and Concord National Wild and Scenic River, Massachusetts
Surprise Canyon Creek Wild and Scenic River, California
Taunton Wild and Scenic River, Massachusetts
Tinayguk Wild River, Alaska
Tlikakila Wild River, Alaska
Tuolumne River, California
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, New York to Pennsylvania
Virgin Wild and Scenic River, Utah
Wekiva Wild and Scenic River, Florida
Westfield Wild and Scenic River, Massachusetts
White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River, Pennsylvania
Wolf River, Wisconsin
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Wild and Scenic Rivers, Connecticut and Rhode Island
York Wild and Scenic River, Maine

Last updated: February 2, 2026