name (location) outstanding features area in acres

Acadia (Maine) Highest land on Atlantic Coast; rugged coastline. 38,522.

Arches (Utah) Giant rock arches, windows, and towers formed by erosion. 73,379.

Big Bend (Texas) Chisos Mountains and Desert in big bend of Rio Grande. 708,116.

Biscayne (Florida) Aquatic park encompassing chain of islands south of Miami. 173,467.

Bryce Canyon (Utah) Oddly shaped, beautifully colored rock formations in horseshoe-shaped basins. 35,835.

Canyonlands (Utah) Canyons, mesas, and sandstone spires; 1,000-year-old Indian rock carvings. 337,570.

Capitol Reef (Utah) Colorful ridge 60 miles long with white dome-shaped rock. 241,874.

Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico) Huge underground caves with strange rock formations. 46,755.

Channel Islands (California) Sea lion breeding place; nesting sea birds; unique plants. 249,354.

Crater Lake (Oregon) Lake in dead volcano; colorful lava walls almost 2,000 feet high. 160,290.

Denali (Alaska) Formerly Mount McKinley National Park; highest mountain in North America; wildlife. 4,716,726.

Dry Tortugas (Florida) Formerly Fort Jefferson National Monument. 64,700.

Everglades (Florida) Subtropical wilderness with plentiful wildlife. 1,398,800.

Gates of the Arctic (Alaska) Vast wilderness in north central region. 7,523,888.

Glacier (Montana) Many glaciers and lakes among towering Rocky Mountain peaks. 1,013,595.

Glacier Bay (Alaska) Tidewater glaciers; wildlife. 3,225,284.

Grand Canyon (Arizona) Canyon 1 mile deep with brightly colored walls and rock shapes. 1,218,375.

Grand Teton (Wyoming) Rugged Teton peaks; winter feeding ground of large elk herd. 310,516.

Great Basin (Nevada) Wide basins and high mountain ranges. 77,100.

Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina) High mountains; large hardwood and evergreen forests. 517,368.

Guadalupe Mountains (Texas) Fossil limestone reef; evergreen forest overlooking desert. 76,293.

Haleakala (Hawaii) Inactive volcano with large, colorful crater. 28,660.

Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) Two active volcanoes; rare plants and animals. 229,177.

Hopewell Culture (Ohio) Formerly Mound City Group National Monument. 270.

Hot Springs (Arkansas) Mineral springs at base of Hot Springs Mountain. 5,801.

Isle Royale (Michigan) Island wilderness with large moose herd and wolves. 571,796.

Katmai (Alaska) Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, scene of 1912 volcanic eruption. 3,716,000.

Kenai Fjords (Alaska) Wildlife; Harding Icefield. 669,541.

Kings Canyon (California) Mountain wilderness of giant sequoia trees. 460,136.

Kobuk Valley (Alaska) Broad river that is core of native culture. 1,750,421.

Lake Clark (Alaska) Scenic wilderness rich in fish and wildlife. 2,636,839.

Lassen Volcanic (California) Active volcano; steep domes of lava. 106,372.

Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) Huge cave with 150 miles of corridors, underground lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. 52,129.

Mesa Verde (California) Prehistoric Indian cliff dwellings. 52,036.

Mount Rainier (Washington) Greatest single-peak glacier system in United States. 235,404.

North Cascades (Washington) Mountain wilderness with glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and jagged peaks. 504,780.

Olympic (Washington) Oceanside mountain wilderness with rain forest and elk. 908,692.

Petrified Forest (Arizona) Ancient, rock-hard wood; Indian ruins; Painted Desert. 93,493.

Redwood (California) World's tallest known tree in coastal redwood forest. 113,754.

Rocky Mountain (Colorado) More than 100 peaks over 11,000 feet high. 263,793.

Samoa (American Samoa) The only paleotropical rain forest in the world. 9,000.

Sequoia (California) Giant sequoia trees; Mount Whitney. 386,823.

Shenandoah (Virginia) Blue Ridge Mountains; hardwood forest; Skyline Drive. 190,591.

Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota) Part of Theodore Roosevelt's ranch; scenic badlands. 70,447.

Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands) White beaches; tropical plants and animals. 14,490.

Voyageurs (Minnesota) Beautiful northern forests of aspen, birch, pine, and spruce; more than 50 lakes. 219,128.

Wind Cave (South Dakota) Limestone caverns; prairie wildlife. 28,060.

Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska) Most peaks over 15,000 feet; abundant wildlife; largest area in National Park System. 8,331,604.

Yellowstone (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana) World's greatest geyser area; canyons and waterfalls; wide variety of wildlife. 2,219,823.

Yosemite (California) Mountain scenery with deep gorges and high waterfalls. 760,917.

Zion (Utah) Colorful canyons and mesas. 146,547.

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