Created on August 25, 1916, the National Park Service oversees 417 units as part of the National Park System. These “units” including battlefields, historical sites, lakeshore, memorials, monuments, parkways, preserves, scenic trails, seashores, recreation areas, wild and scenic rivers, and of course national parks. There are 60 national parks in the United States and they are some of the most spectacular places in the entire country.
The 60 national parks consist of 52,095,045.71 acres in 28 states plus American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands. The National Parks see millions of visitors every single year. Every national park is unique and each is worth visiting, but if you want to get away from it all, you should definitely visit one the largest national parks in the United States.
The 12 largest national parks in the United States are all over 1 million acres. Seven of the 12 are located in Alaska, the other 5 are located in the Lower 48 states. If you want to experience untouched nature, these are the national parks you need to visit first.
Here are the 12 largest national parks in the United States – all with over 1 million acres:
1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park – 8,323,146.48 acres
- Size: 8,323,146.48 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Mount St. Elias – 18,008′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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2. Gates Of The Arctic National Park – 7,523,897.45 acres
- Size: 7,523,897.45 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Mount Igikpak – 8267′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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3. Denali National Park – 4,740,911.16 acres
- Size: 4,740,911.16 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Denali – 20,310′
- Date Established: February 26, 1917
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4. Katmai National Park – 3,674,368.02 acres
- Size: 3,674,368.02 acres
- Location:
- Highest Point: Mount Griggs – 7600′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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5. Death Valley National Park – 3,373,063.14 acres
- Size: 3,373,063.14 acres
- Location: California, Nevada
- Highest Point: Telescope Peak – 11049′
- Date Established: October 31, 1994
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6. Glacier Bay National Park – 3,223,383.43 acres
- Size: 3,223,383.43 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Mount Fair-weather – 15325′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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7. Lake Clark National Park – 2,619,836.49 acres
- Size: 2,619,836.49 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Redoubt Volcano – 10197′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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8. Yellowstone National Park – 2,219,790.71 acres
- Size: 2,219,790.71 acres
- Location: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
- Highest Point: Eagle Peak – 11367′
- Date Established: March 1, 1872
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9. Kobuk Valley National Park – 1,750,716.16 acres
- Size: 1,750,716.16 acres
- Location: Alaska
- Highest Point: Mount Angayukaqsraq – 4700′
- Date Established: December 2, 1980
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10. Everglades National Park – 1,508,975.57 acres
- Size: 1,508,975.57 acres
- Location: Florida
- Highest Point: Grossman Hammock – 10′
- Date Established: May 30, 1934
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11. Grand Canyon National Park – 1,201,647.03 acres
- Size: 1,201,647.03 acres
- Location: Arizona
- Highest Point: Lookout Tower Hill – 9165′
- Date Established: February 26, 1919
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12. Glacier National Park – 1,013,324.23 acres
- Size: 1,013,324.23 acres
- Location: Montana
- Highest Point: Mount Cleveland – 10466′
- Date Established: May 11, 1910
- Learn More
All acreage in this list is based on stats from the National Parks: Index 1916-2016. Sometimes the sizes are listed as larger because they include the park and the adjoining preserve. The acres in this post only include the acreage of the park.
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