There are 63 National Parks across the beautiful United States. And it’s not just parks that are part of the National Park System—there are 423 total units (broadly referred to as national parks) in the National Park System across the U.S. (Seeing all those should keep you busy for a while!)
How many of the 63 U.S. National Parks have you visited? Your answer can be with or without your RV—we just want to know the total number. If you’re having a hard time remembering all the parks to count, this Wikipedia list is helpful.
After you vote, please leave a comment and tell us what your favorite National Park is. We’re curious to read your answers. Thanks!
Hope to see all of them before I die. Headed to Alaska this summer so 8 more. That should leave only about 20 more to see.
Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and I can’t remember the rest. I know its been about 5 and I am working Acadia in Maine. Well sort of. They sponsor us. Otherwise great system.
Include National Monuments with the National Parks and the numbers will go way up.
Visited more than 30 and camped in most of them in tents and rvs. Yellowstone is hard to beat. Been there in winter, spring and fall. Summer is way too crowded. Early spring when snow is still on the ground and almost nobody is there is my favorite time. Glacier National is also at the top of my list. Fall is my favorite time there. And the East side of the park my fav. Jackson Hole is excellent too. Late spring after the ski crowd is gone and before summer crowds the hiking trails up into the Tetons are mostly empty. And rafting the Snake when the snow melt is raging is a thrill. Many times we have left Florida in rvs and headed for Santa Fe, NM and then north thru Utah and Colorado and on to Montana and Canada. Coming back in the fall we zig zag to California, Utah and New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. Then the long boring drive home across Texas, ugh, and on to Florida. Right now we are in Maine and still deciding on the route home.
Four — Bryce Canyon, Denali, the Smokies, and Zion — but I prefer to avoid them. They are far too crowded. I much prefer places less popular. For example the Alaskan state park, Kesugi Ken, (https://www.alaska.org/detail/kesugi-ken-campground-1) is much closer to Denali (the mountain) than any of the campgrounds in the national park, and far less crowded.
Been to Hawaii but not Alaska. Alaska is the only state we have never been to. We have been to Hawaii 5 times and have visited all 4 of the big name Islands. We have family on several of the islands. We only spend time in Honalulu at the airport changing planes for Maui, Kuai and The Big Island. Bryce Canyon is very nice in early spring or late fall when most of the tourist are gone. We hiked down from the rim to valley floor and hiked the full loop and saw nobody else that day. The climb back up to the rim just before dark was exhausting after the long loop trail. Most tourists stay up on the rim. It snowed the next morning and changed the view dramatically.
I’ve been to 21 and some several times like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. My favorite is Grand Canyon North Rim. Not many tourists even in the summer. We live next door to Red Rock Canyon in NV. Beautiful part of the world.
Very nice rv campground on the north rim. Been there in fall when the aspens were golden yellow. South rim is too bloody hot! Never hiked down to the bottom. Not into pain. 🙂 Did fly over the entire canyon in a small plane from Las Vegas.
My total was 19 NPs. Most all are located in the western US. Some I visited as a child, the remainder with my family and friends. Used to live just outside of Yosemite NP, with a view of Duckwall mountain.
We did Dry Tortugas on what we learned was an unusual weather day. Clear blue skies, slight breeze. The Captain said usually very chopping and lots of wind. We were blessed. BTW…we got married on that trip to the Keys. The boat trip to and back was amazing, as was our actual time at the park. Didn’t know it was a military fort during Civil War & a prison that held the doctor that treated John Wilkes Booth. We did not stay overnight. For adventurers. No amenities. One of our favorites out of the 26 we’ve visited. Although hard to pick. Thanks for the list and memories!
Dr. Mudd. He became the defacto prison doctor while he was held there.
Only 4 so far but more are on the horizon!
45 and counting. My favorites in no order include Yellowstone, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Olympic, Grand Canyon, and Big Bend…
We have visited over 350 NPS sites since we retired 12 years ago…and have the passport stamps. I have to say that several of our most favorite ones are not officially national “parks” but monuments, memorials, seashores, historical sites, etc. I strongly urge travelers to not overlook these “non-parks.” These are wonderfully curated special places from which to learn and enjoy. If a national “ park” is your destination, you probably have to pass near other NPS sites on the way. Take time to stop in.
I agree completely! We’ve probably visited about half as many as you, but many of the monuments, historical, and seashores are amazing! And frequently not as busy as the standard N.P.s. We saw several during our working years, and since we retired 3 years ago have been adding many more to that list! Happy Travels everyone!
So true. I’ve been to 247 NPS sites, and I agree that some of my favorites are the “non-parks”. Following the National Historic Trails, and spending time exploring the National Heritage Areas in depth have been highly rewarding.
over the last 50-yrs? a lot! but, who counts??
Been to all in the lower 48 that my RV can get to (visitor centers count like Channel Islands and Biscayne) and most more than once. I used the NPs as a roadmap to explore the entire country and see much more in between. IMO neither Gateway Arch NP nor Hot Springs NP deserve the designation (should be National Historical Parks at best). Unfortunately there is a little bit of politics and money involved here. But I’ve seen baby moose nursing, grizzly bears swimming and hummingbirds fighting while ignoring a host of human hijinx.
I agree with Gateway Arch and Hot Springs National Historical Parks at best. I go to National Parks to see nature, not cement.
118 National Parks and monuments (some of the monuments have become NP). We still have more to visit to complete the list.
Sleeping Bear National Lake Shore park is near where we live. It’s an extraordinary area to visit. Have also visited Picture Rocks in the Upper Peninsula.
Yellowstone. It is so much more than I ever could imagine. I could spend months there and still not experience all of it.
Lived next to Yellowstone 9 years and never was able to see all. Camped there several times a year.
Caught trout on a dusty miller fly near the conjunction of the Fire Hole andMadison Rivers with snow flakes, white swans, elk and other critters passing by but no humans. This was early May years ago and we were staying in a log cabin near West Yellowstone. We always went in the “mud” or “dry” season as the locals called Spring and Fall. My new bride was from Florida and had never seen snow before. I was fishing while she layed down in the snow and made snow angels. Very soon she was back in the jeep with the heater running!
Right you are Linda. Just not in the summer now when the park is jammed!
Before getting the list out we estimated 20-40, but finally totaled out at 41 which squeeked us into the top 7 percent.
Also reminds us of the 22 we have remaining. Time to get out the maps and start planning our next “big trip”. “DW where did I leave my atlas. Do you have our NP passport book? Is our Willie Nelson CD still in the CD player? (We always play On the Road Again as we pull out). Good grief this windshield is dirty! Yes, I checked the oil before starting the engine. …”
I’m a National Park geek. I’ve visited 57 of the National Parks, all but one (Dry Tortugas} in the lower 48 states.
Great Smoky Mountains. Been there over 50 times – – and we live in Michigan!
Isle Royale NP in Lake Superior. I was a ranger there for four summers. It’s a difficult place to get to, and once there you can only hike and boat (no roads and no vehicles), but boy is it magical!
Everglades
That was a fun one! We only racked up 18 and that includes the parks my husband visited on an ecosystems trip he took with college students. Going through the list was so fun. Memories. Our favorite? Maybe The Great Sand Dunes because we went there with our grandkids 🥰