About The National Park System

America’s National Park System

America’s National Park System includes 423 units consisting of the 63 national parks as designated by Congress, 85 national monuments, 74 national historic sites, 60 national historical parks, 31 national memorials, 19 national preserves, 18 national recreation areas, 14 national rivers and national wild and scenic rivers and riverways, 15 national battlefields and national battlefield parks, 10 national seashores, 9 national military parks, 4 national parkways, 3 national lakeshores, 3 national scenic trails, 2 national reserves, and 13 other unique designations. There is at least one unit located in each state and in five island territories in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans. In addition to the three trails considered distinct units by the park service, there are 27 other national scenic trails and national historic trails, 54 national heritage areas, 43 rivers in the national wild and scenic rivers system and 25 affiliated sites spread across the country.

The park system is managed in seven different regions, though many park enthusiasts still think of the units as split among the nine regions identified by Eastern National in the Passport to Your National Parks program. The greatest number of units within or shared by any one state is 28 in California, followed by the District of Columbia with 25, Alaska with 24, and Arizona and Virginia, each with 22. Delaware became the 50^th state to gain a unit in 2013 with First State National Monument, since redesignated First State National Historical Park in 2014.