DISCOVERING U.S. NATIONAL PARKS
The United States has 58 protected areas known as national parks. Do you want to know all about these parks? Scroll to learn more!
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What defines a national park?
Criteria for the selection of national parks include natural beauty, unique geological features, unusual ecosystems, and recreational opportunities (though these criteria are not always considered together).
The highest point in North America, the longest cave system in the world, and the deepest lake in the U.S., all exist within the boundaries of a U.S. national park.
1872
Yellowstone becomes the first national park
26,542
people visit Yellowstone on a typical July day
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The highest point in North America can be found at Mount McKinley in Denali National Park, Alaska
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Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky has the world's longest cave system
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Crater Lake in Oregon's Crater Lake National Park boasts the deepest lake in the U.S.
Q: What's the most visited national park?
A: The Great Smokey Mountains.
The most visited national park in the United States sprawls between North Carolina and Tennessee.
Over 6.4 million people experienced the wildlife and wildflowers of Great Smoky Mountains in 2009 — more than twice the number who visited Grand Canyon, the second most popular park.
Biscayne National Park, FL
Did you know this was a National Park?
95%
of this park is underwater and considered some of the best diving spots in the U.S.
