The National Park Service oversees the 84 million acres of land that make up the United States National Parks. The parks include wildlife preserves, natural landmarks, historic landmarks and archeological sites across America. With over 400 locations, the parks can be organized by seven different geographic regions, including the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains, Southwest, West Coast, and Non-continental.
The National Park service operates four parks in the Northeast. In New England, Acadia National Park offers coastal views of immense granite peaks, as well as a large diversity of wildlife. In Pennsylvania, Gettysburg and Valley Forge highlight the history of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and in Virginia Shenandoah National Park protects the Blue Ridge Mountains, the "Rockies of the East."
The National Parks in the Southern and Southeastern United States contain a wide array of habitat and wildlife. From the mountain vistas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, to the Everglades and Biscayune National Parks in Florida, visitors will find a diversity of experience that the Park Services encompass. Other parks of interest in this region include Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
From the eroded rock formations that make up the landscape of Badlands National Park in South Dakota, to the boating and fishing in Michigan's Isle Royal, the Midwest has far more to offer than endless cornfields. National Park enthusiasts should also make a stop at Cuyahaga in Ohio, Voyageurs in Minnesota or Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. These parks are all off the beaten path of the usual park circuit, and don't have the crowds that are found at such well-known places as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
The Rocky Mountains parks stretch from the northern expanses of Montana and Wyoming all the way to the desert vistas of Utah. Some of America's best loved National Parks are in the Rocky Mountains zone, from Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming, Mesa Verde in Colorado, to Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion in Utah.
The Southwestern United States is home to awe-inspiring desert landscapes and rock formations preserved for eternity in the National Parks. While some, like the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns, are heavily populated with tourists year round, others such as the Petrified Forest and Saguaro in Arizona are less congested. While not for the faint of heart, Death Valley and Great Basin provide an unforgettable experience.
On the west coast, visitors to National Parks can drive to the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington, see giant redwoods and sequoias at the parks bearing their names in California, and hike and explore at Yosemite and Olympic. While Oregon is home to only one National Park, Crater Lake, California has nine. Lesser known parks in the region include Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon and Lassen Volcanic National Parks.
The National Park Service also operates parks outside of the continental United States. Hawaii is home to Haleakala and Hawaiian Islands National Parks, where visitors can tour dormant and active volcanoes. In Alaska, Denali, Gates of the Arctic and Glacier Bay enjoy a decent stream of tourism in the warmer months.
