Which state has the most national parks? Get to know the 63 national parks in the US

In 1916, the National Parks Service was founded to protect and maintain the national parks and monuments in the U.S. From Zion to Yosemite, each park has its own rich history. 

But how many national parks are there and which state has the most? Here is what you need to know. 

How many national parks are there?

There are 63 national parks in the U.S., according to the National Park Service.

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Which state has the most national parks? 

California has the most national parks with nine total in the state. The next state with the most parks is Alaska, which has eight national parks. 

Utah comes in third place with a total of five national parks, while Colorado is in fourth with four national parks. 

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What was the first national park?

Yellowstone National Park is the world's first national park, according to the National Park Service.

"The Yellowstone National Park Protection Act" was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. The act protected the land from private development and declared it "a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." 

On Aug. 25, 1916, the National Parks Service was founded after "The National Park Service Organic Act" was passed by Congress and approved by President Woodrow Wilson. 

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National parks by state 

Here are the national parks by state and U.S. territory: 

Alaska

• Denali National Park 
• Gates of the Arctic National Park 
• Glacier Bay National Park 
• Katmai National Park 
• Kenai Fjords National Park 
• Kobuk Valley National Park
• Lake Clark National Park 
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

American Samoa 

• National Park of American Samoa

Arizona 

• Grand Canyon National Park 
• Petrified Forest National Park 
• Saguaro National Park 

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Arkansas 

• Hot Springs National Park

California 

• Channel Islands National Park 
• Death Valley National Park (California and Nevada)
• Joshua Tree National Park 
• Kings Canyon National Park 
• Lassen Volcanic National Park 
• Pinnacles National Park 
• Redwood National Park 
• Sequoia National Park 
• Yosemite National Park 

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Colorado 

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 
• Great Sand Dunes National Park 
• Mesa Verde National Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park 

Florida 

• Biscayne National Park 
• Dry Tortugas National Park 
• Everglades National Park

Hawaii 

• Haleakala National Park 
• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Idaho 

• Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming)

Kentucky 

• Mammoth Cave National Park

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Indiana 

• Indiana Dunes National Park

Maine 

• Acadia National Park

Michigan 

• Isle Royale National Park

Minnesota 

• Voyageurs National Park

Missouri 

• Gateway Arch National Park

Montana 

• Glacier National Park 
• Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming)

Nevada 

• Death Valley National Park (California and Nevada)
• Great Basin National Park

New Mexico

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park 
• White Sands National Park 

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North Carolina

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)

North Dakota 

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Ohio 

• Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Oregon 

• Crater Lake National Park

South Carolina 

• Congaree National Park

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South Dakota 

• Badlands National Park 
• Wind Cave National Park

Tennessee 

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)

Texas 

• Big Bend National Park 
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Utah 

• Arches National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park 
• Canyonlands National Park 
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Zion National Park

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Virgin Islands

• Virgin Islands National Park

Virginia 

• Shenandoah National Park

Washington 

• Mount Rainier National Park
• North Cascades National Park
• Olympic National Park

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West Virginia 

• New River Gorge National Park

Wyoming 

• Grand Teton National Park
• Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming)