On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law, creating North America’s first federal public park. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act to make the National Park Service. At the time, there were only 35 national park units in the country.
Today, there are 432.
National parks were not a big part of my childhood. I spent most of my summers in Virginia’s state parks and exploring every corner of Jefferson National Forest. The Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway were the only national park sites I visited in my youth.
I was 31 years old before I visited a national park site for the first time in adulthood. Since then, I’ve made it a point to drive out of my way to visit national park sites as frequently as possible and spend as much time as possible – like when I accidentally spent three weeks exploring the Natchez Trace Parkway.
National parks are an essential part of my road-tripping life today. Continue below to find helpful information about exploring the national park sites, how to build a road trip itinerary, and read articles about my national park adventures.
National Park Sites
Search for national park sites alphabetically. Visit the Destinations page to search for national park sites by state and region.
Starts with "A"
Starts with "B"
Starts with "C"
Starts with "D"
Starts with "E"
Starts with "F"
Starts with "G"
Starts with "H"
Starts with "I"
Starts with "J"
Starts with "K"
Starts with "L"
Starts with "M"
Starts with "N"
Starts with "O"
Starts with "P"
Starts with "R"
Starts with "S"
Starts with "T"
Starts with "U"
Starts with "V"
Starts with "W"
Starts with "Y"
Starts with "Z"
National Park Designations
Search for national park sites by designation. Learn more about the national park system designations and how makes it easier to find the park you want to visit next.
National Battlefields
National Battlefield Parks
National Battlefield Site
National Military Parks
National Historical Parks
National Historic Sites
International Historic Site
National Lakeshores
National Memorials
National Monuments
National Parks
National Parkways
National Preserves
National Reserves
National Recreation Areas
National Rivers
National Wild and Scenic Rivers
National Scenic Trails
National Seashores
Road Trip Planning Resources
Use these links to Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) and travel information to plan an epic road trip in America’s national parks.
Travel Articles
Find inspiration for your next national park adventure with one of these travel articles.
These essential guides include information about planning national park trips.
Embark on a road trip through the national parks with one of these itineraries. Visit the Road Trips page to find more road trip itineraries, how-to guides, and resources.
Learn about special topics in the national parks and how to visit them based on themes. Visit the Trip Ideas page to see more ideas for your next vacation.