Browse the system geographically

National Parks by Region

Six regional groupings spanning every U.S. National Park unit — from the rocky coast of Maine to the active volcanoes of Hawaii. Each region has its own travel rhythm: when to visit, how long to stay, and which parks pair naturally on a single trip.

392 parks · 13 states Northeast Atlantic seashores, the Appalachian spine, Civil-war battlefields, and the dense maple-and-hemlock forests of the original colonies. The Northeast packs more designated park units per square mile than any region in the system. 348 parks · 13 states Southeast Subtropical wetlands, blue-ridge balsam forests, barrier-island seashores, and the largest concentration of Civil War battlefields anywhere in the country. Year-round access in much of the region. 302 parks · 12 states Midwest Great Lakes shorelines, tallgrass prairie remnants, Badlands, and the cultural heartland of the Mississippi watershed. Quiet, vast, and dramatically underrated. 314 parks · 7 states Southwest The signature parks of the American imagination — Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Big Bend. Red rock, dark skies, and the deepest stretches of public land in the Lower 48. 431 parks · 6 states West Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Olympic, the Cascades, and the Sierras. The mountain-and-volcano backbone of the Western park system, with the biggest names and the longest seasons. 31 parks · 5 states Pacific & Territories Alaska's largest wilderness parks, Hawaii's active volcanoes, and the Pacific island monuments. The most logistically demanding parks in the system — and the most rewarding.

"The National Park System is best understood not as a list, but as a map. Drive a region, not a checklist."