America's National Parks

After re-watching Ken Burns' marvelous PBS series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," I began counting up the parks I've visited (54).  The National Park Service administers 420+ properties, but only 63 have full national park status (as opposed to being a national seashore or lakeshore or scenic river or monument or battlefield or historic site, etc.) Below are the 63 parks with links to my photos and info about my visits and the years I was there, representing over 150 visits in total.  (I am also including information I've compiled about the 9 parks I haven't yet visited.)

Acadia National Park, Maine  (2005, 2009)

Arches National Park, Utah    (1985, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010)

Badlands National Park, South Dakota  (1959, 1982, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014)

Big Bend National Park, Texas   (2007)

Biscayne National Park, Florida   (2008, 2012)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado   (1959, 1989, 1991, 2007, 2014)

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah   (1985, 1999, 2008, 2010)

Canyonlands National Park, Utah  (1985, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012)

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah  (1985, 1989, 2012)

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico  (1985)

Channel Islands National Park, California  (2011)

Congaree National Park, South Carolina   (2011)

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon   (2011)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio   (2012)

Death Valley National Park, California  (2012)

Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska  (2004 - 3 separate visits)

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida  (2012)

Everglades National Park, Florida  (2003, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Gateway Arch, Missouri (1967, 1985, 1991, 1993) 

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska  (2004)

Glacier National Park, Montana  (1997)

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona  (1981, 1985, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010)

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming  (1982, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014)

Great Basin National Park, Nevada  (2012)

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado  (1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina  (1965, 1967, 1971,1995, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2017)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas  (1985, 2007)

Haleakala National Park, Hawai'i'  (2003)

Hawai'i' Volcanoes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park (3 visits in the 1950's, 60's. and 70's)

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas  (1968, 1985, 2006)

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan  (1993, 1995)

Joshua Tree National Park, California  (2011)

Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska  (2004)

Kings Canyon National Park, California  (2011)

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California  (2011)

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky  (1962, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2017 twice)

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado  (1985, 1994, 1999)

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington  (1992, 2000, 2004)

National Park of American Samoa

New River National Park and Preserve West Virginia (2003, 2006)

North Cascades National Park, Washington  (2011)

Olympic National Park, Washington  (1992, 2000)

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona  (1989, 1999)

Pinnacles National Park, California

Redwood National Park, California  (1992)

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  (1982, 1990, 2014, 2019)

Saguaro National Park, Arizona  (2012)

Sequoia National Park, California  (2011)

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia  (2012)

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota  (2012)

Virgin Islands National Park

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota  (2013)

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota  (1998)

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska   (2004 — 2 separate visits)

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, & Idaho  (1982, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014)

Yosemite National Park, California  (1992, 2011)

Zion National Park, Utah  (1985, 1999, 2008, 2010)