List of 61 National Parks of the US Activities and Resources

The United States has 61 protected areas known as national parks that are operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. An act of the United States Congress must establish national parks. A bill creating the first national park, Yellowstone, was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, followed by Mackinac National Park in 1875, and then Rock Creek Park, Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890.

PLAY, LEARN AND HAVE FUN!

61 U.S. National Parks
88 U.S. National Monuments
19 U.S. National Preserves
51 U.S. National Historic Parks
78 U.S. National Historic Sites
1 U.S. International Historic Site
4 U.S. National Battlefield Parks
9 U.S. National Military Parks
11 U.S. National Battlefields

1 National Battlefield Site
29 National Memorials
18 National Recreation Areas
10 National Seashores
3 National Lakeshores
15 National Rivers
2 National Reserves
4 National Parkways
3 National Trails
11 other sites including the National Mall and National Capital Parks

For a Total of 417 U.S. National Parks, Sites and Monuments

Download the National Park Service Index, a complete administrative listing of the National Park System’s areas and related areas. It has been revised to reflect congressional actions. The entries, grouped by state, include administrative addresses and phone numbers, dates of authorization and establishment, boundary change dates, acreages, website addresses, and brief statements explaining the areas’ national significance. This book is not intended as a guide for park visitors. There is no information regarding campgrounds, trails, visitor services, hours, etc. Those needing such information should go to each park’s website, accessible through the National Park Service home page: www.nps.gov

Next, download the trip planning guide and checklist. Make your fun adventure a safe one too! No one plans to get hurt while out exploring in a National Park. However, nature is unpredictable, structures are historical, and your equipment can unexpectedly fail. Planning can be the key to a fun and safe adventure. Remember, safety starts with you!

National Park Index 2012-2016
Size: 6.54 MB Format: PDF
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Trip Planning Guide National Park Service
Size: 1.90 MB Format: PDF
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National Park Finder App

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National Park Finder App

"Explore, Learn, and Protect!" The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family.

Video: Every Kid in a Park

Cook Fun Things

Kids love to be involved cooking their own food that can be cooked at the end of a stick. Introduce your kids to the camping tradition of roasting marshmallows and cooking hot dogs over a fire. Cooking in Camp for more tips, tricks and recipes for meals.

Camping Trip Safety Series

Know Your Limits
Plan Your Trip
Park Requirements and Regulations
In Case of Emergency
Prepare – Gear Up!

Keep Your Pet Safe Too

If camping with your pet, be sure to follow these guidelines:

Always keep your pet restrained.
Check your pet for ticks.
Do not leave your pet in a closed vehicle.
If you are camping in bear country, camping with dogs can be more dangerous than elsewhere. Dogs can attract curious bears, and the interaction often leads to conflict, which can put your pet and you in danger.

Respect Wildlife

Follow these basic guidelines to ensure the safety of you and animals in the park with respect to wildlife:

Do NOT feed wildlife under any circumstances. Feeding wildlife creates an expectation that they can receive food from you (and other campers) in the future. This can make them persistent and sometimes violent, and may attract wildlife to your site.
Avoid contact with wildlife. While it is certainly tempting to approach wildlife, this can be very dangerous.
Keep safe viewing distances. When watching wildlife, make sure to keep a safe distance. Your park may or may not have recommended viewing distances regarding certain wildlife.

Avoid attracting wildlife to your campsite with the following methods:

Keep food secured in airtight containers. Not only will it be fresher, it will attract less unwanted attention from wildlife.
Keep your food out of reach of wildlife. Generally, food can be stored in your car, but certain campgrounds may require the use of food storage lockers or other means of keeping food out of reach of wildlife.
Keep your campsite clean. Collect any food packaging and food scraps in a waste bag and dispose of the waste in the campground's receptacle before you leave the camp or turn in for the night.
Do not feed wildlife. Not only will they become more aggressive toward you, they will be more likely to be a nuisance for campers who use the site after you.
Do not take food inside your tent. While it's tempting to have that midnight snack on hand, it will attract wildlife.

Outdoor Participation

Running, including jogging and trail running, was the most popular activity among Americans when measured by both number of participants and by number of total annual outings.

Walking for fitness was the most popular crossover activity. 45.8% of all outdoor participants also walked.

Adults who were introduced to the outdoors as children were more likely to participate in outdoor activities during adulthood than those who were not exposed to the outdoors as children. 38% of adults who were introduced to the outdoors during childhood grew up to enjoy outdoor activities as adults. Only 17% of adults who do not currently participate in any outdoor activities had outdoor experiences as children.

Adventure Activity Resources

All downloads in this category include Junior Ranger activity books available in each state park. Explore additional subcategories with activities to download for special exhibits, events and National Park Service programs. Be sure to check out other articles in this section for links to resources, information and videos.

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Public Downloads

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Public Downloads - Español (Spanish)

When available, we provide all our content with a Spanish version in our public download section. You can find additional material from sources listed in all our articles.

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