The 15 Largest National Parks in America (Ranked by Size)

America’s national parks range from a tiny 6-acre plot in downtown St. Louis to a sprawling 13.2 million-acre wilderness in Alaska. The smallest ones can be explored in a single afternoon. The biggest ones are so vast that you could spend a lifetime wandering their backcountry and still discover something new.

We have spent years filming and photographing America’s national parks, and the sheer scale of the largest parks never stops amazing us. These are places where glaciers carve entire mountain ranges, where sand dunes stretch to the horizon, and where grizzly bears roam for hundreds of miles without crossing a single road.

Here are the 15 largest national parks in America, ranked from biggest to smallest by total acreage.

1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

13,175,799 acres

Wrangell-St. Elias is not just the largest national park in America. It is the largest national park in the entire world. At 13.2 million acres, it is roughly six times the size of Yellowstone and larger than the entire country of Switzerland. The park contains 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the United States, including 18,008-foot Mount St. Elias.

What makes this place truly special is how wild it remains. There are only two unpaved roads leading into the park, and the vast majority of its terrain is accessible only by bush plane or on foot. The park is home to the Malaspina Glacier, which at 1,500 square miles is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Good to know: Fewer than 75,000 people visit Wrangell-St. Elias each year, making it one of the least visited national parks in the system despite being the largest. Read our Wrangell-St. Elias facts guide.

2. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

8,472,506 acres

Gates of the Arctic sits entirely above the Arctic Circle, and it is about as remote as any national park gets. There are no roads, no trails, and no visitor facilities inside the park. You have to fly in on a bush plane, paddle a river, or walk across the tundra to get there.

The park protects an incredible stretch of the Brooks Range, with jagged peaks, sweeping valleys, and rivers that have never been dammed or developed. Caribou herds numbering in the thousands migrate across these mountains every year, just as they have for millennia.

Good to know: Gates of the Arctic typically sees fewer than 10,000 visitors per year, making it consistently one of the least visited parks in the entire system. Explore our Gates of the Arctic guide.

3. Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

4,740,911 acres

Denali is home to the highest peak in North America. At 20,310 feet, Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley) towers over the Alaska Range with a vertical rise that is actually greater than Mount Everest’s rise from base to summit. On a clear day, you can see the mountain from over 100 miles away, and the sight is genuinely breathtaking.

The park protects nearly 5 million acres of boreal forest, alpine tundra, and glacial landscapes. Grizzly bears, wolves, moose, Dall sheep, and caribou roam freely here, and the single park road offers some of the best wildlife viewing in all of North America.

Good to know: Only one 92-mile road runs through the park, and private vehicles can only drive the first 15 miles. After that, you ride the park bus system. It is well worth the experience. See our guide to things to do in Denali.

4. Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

3,674,529 acres

Katmai is famous for one thing above all else: brown bears catching salmon at Brooks Falls. Every summer, dozens of enormous brown bears gather at this single waterfall to feast on sockeye salmon running upstream, and it is one of the most spectacular wildlife events on the planet. The park’s famous bear cam draws millions of online viewers each year.

But Katmai is far more than bears and salmon. The park was originally created to protect the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a 40-square-mile landscape of volcanic ash deposited by the massive 1912 eruption of Novarupta, the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

Good to know: There are no roads to Katmai. Most visitors fly in on a floatplane from King Salmon, Alaska. Read our Katmai facts guide.

5. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

3,408,395 acres

Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska and one of the most extreme places on Earth. It holds the record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature in world history: 134 degrees Fahrenheit, measured at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. It is also the lowest point in North America, sitting 282 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin.

Despite its intimidating name, Death Valley is home to an incredible variety of landscapes. You will find towering sand dunes, colorful badlands, salt flats that stretch for miles, slot canyons, and even snow-capped peaks above 11,000 feet. The park is also one of the best places in the country for stargazing, with some of the darkest skies you will ever see.

Good to know: Visit between November and March to avoid the brutal summer heat. Spring wildflower blooms in Death Valley can be absolutely sensational in wet years. See our 25 things to do in Death Valley.

6. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

3,223,384 acres

Glacier Bay is a living laboratory of glacial retreat and ecological succession. When Captain George Vancouver sailed through here in 1794, the entire bay was covered by a massive glacier. Today, that glacier has retreated over 65 miles, revealing a stunning fjord system surrounded by mountains, rainforest, and tidewater glaciers that still actively calve icebergs into the sea.

The park protects over 1,000 glaciers and some of the most pristine marine ecosystems in the world. Humpback whales, sea otters, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions thrive in these cold, nutrient-rich waters. It is an incredibly special place.

Good to know: Most visitors see Glacier Bay from cruise ships sailing through the park’s fjords, but kayaking among the tidewater glaciers offers a far more intimate experience. Read our Glacier Bay facts guide.

7. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

2,619,816 acres

Lake Clark is one of Alaska’s best-kept secrets. The park sits at the juncture of three major mountain ranges and contains an incredible diversity of landscapes, from coastal rainforests and turquoise glacial lakes to steaming volcanoes and vast stretches of tundra. Two active volcanoes, Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna, rise dramatically from the landscape.

The park’s rivers are legendary among anglers, producing some of the finest salmon and trout fishing on Earth. Brown bears congregate along the coast and rivers in numbers that rival even Katmai.

Good to know: Like many Alaska parks, there are no roads to Lake Clark. Access is by small aircraft only, usually from Anchorage, Homer, or Kenai. Read our Lake Clark facts guide.

8. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

2,219,791 acres

Yellowstone was the world’s first national park, established in 1872, and it remains one of the most remarkable places on Earth. The park sits atop one of the world’s largest active volcanic systems and contains more than half of the world’s active geysers, including Old Faithful.

Beyond the geothermal wonders, Yellowstone protects one of the last intact temperate ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere. The Lamar Valley is often called the Serengeti of North America for its incredible concentration of wolves, bison, elk, grizzly bears, and pronghorn. We have spent more time in Yellowstone than almost any other park, and it never fails to surprise us.

Good to know: Yellowstone draws about 4.5 million visitors per year. For a quieter experience, visit in September or October when the crowds thin out and the elk rut fills the valleys with bugling. See our 20 things to do in Yellowstone.

9. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

1,750,716 acres

Kobuk Valley is one of the most unusual national parks in the system. Located above the Arctic Circle in northwestern Alaska, the park protects the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, a 25-square-mile field of active sand dunes that reach up to 100 feet tall. Sand dunes above the Arctic Circle may seem impossible, but they are absolutely real and absolutely spectacular.

The park also sits along one of the oldest known caribou migration routes in the world. Twice a year, the Western Arctic caribou herd, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, crosses through the Kobuk Valley on its ancient migration path.

Good to know: Kobuk Valley has no roads, no trails, and no established campgrounds. It is typically one of the two or three least visited national parks, with fewer than 12,000 visitors per year. Read our Kobuk Valley facts guide.

10. Everglades National Park, Florida

1,508,938 acres

The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and one of the most important wetland ecosystems on the planet. This is a landscape defined by water. A slow-moving river of grass flows southward across the entire southern tip of Florida, sustaining an extraordinary web of life.

The park is home to 36 threatened or endangered species, including the Florida panther, the West Indian manatee, and the American crocodile. It is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist in the wild. Hundreds of bird species pass through or nest here, making it one of the premier birding destinations in North America.

Good to know: Visit during the dry season (December through April) when wildlife concentrates around shrinking water sources and mosquitoes are more manageable. See our 20 things to do in the Everglades.

11. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

1,201,647 acres

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and over a mile deep. Those numbers sound impressive on paper, but nothing truly prepares you for the moment you first stand on the rim and look down. The exposed rock layers tell a geological story spanning nearly 2 billion years, and the play of light and shadow across those layers throughout the day is genuinely mesmerizing.

The Colorado River carved this extraordinary landscape over millions of years, and it continues to shape the canyon today. The park protects diverse ecosystems ranging from hot desert at the canyon floor to cool conifer forests on the North Rim, which sits above 8,000 feet in elevation.

Good to know: The South Rim is open year-round and draws the majority of the park’s 6 million annual visitors. The North Rim, which is 1,000 feet higher, offers a quieter experience but is only open from mid-May through mid-October. See our guide to the Grand Canyon.

12. Glacier National Park, Montana

1,013,572 acres

Glacier National Park is often called the Crown of the Continent, and for good reason. The park sits at the heart of a vast and largely intact ecosystem where the Northern Rockies meet the Great Plains, and its scenery is among the most stunning you will find anywhere in the national park system. Alpine meadows, turquoise lakes, dramatic peaks, and cascading waterfalls define the landscape.

The park’s namesake glaciers have been retreating rapidly. In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers here. Today, only 25 named glaciers remain, and scientists project they could disappear entirely within the next few decades. That alone makes visiting now more important than ever.

Good to know: Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the most scenic drives in America, but it typically does not fully open until late June or early July due to snow. Plan accordingly. See our 15 things to do in Glacier.

13. Olympic National Park, Washington

922,649 acres

Olympic is one of the most ecologically diverse parks in the entire system. Within its boundaries you will find temperate rainforests receiving over 12 feet of rain per year, alpine glaciers clinging to nearly 8,000-foot peaks, and 73 miles of wild Pacific coastline. Very few places on Earth pack this much variety into a single protected area.

The Hoh Rain Forest is the star attraction for many visitors, and walking through its cathedral-like groves of Sitka spruce and western red cedar draped in thick moss is an unforgettable experience. But the park’s high alpine meadows and rugged coastal sea stacks are equally impressive.

Good to know: Olympic’s three distinct ecosystems (rainforest, mountains, and coast) are all accessed from different entrances, so plan to spend at least 2-3 days to see the full range of what this park offers. See our things to do in Olympic.

14. Big Bend National Park, Texas

801,163 acres

Big Bend occupies a remote corner of West Texas where the Rio Grande makes a dramatic turn along the Mexican border, carving spectacular canyons through ancient limestone. The park protects the largest area of Chihuahuan Desert in the United States, along with the forested slopes of the Chisos Mountains, which rise to over 7,800 feet.

Big Bend is one of those parks that rewards the effort it takes to get there. The nearest major city is about 5 hours away, which keeps visitation relatively low and the experience remarkably peaceful. The park has some of the darkest night skies of any national park, earning it an International Dark Sky Park designation.

Good to know: Big Bend is a serious desert park. Temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees from May through September. The best time to visit is November through March. See our 20 things to do in Big Bend.

15. Joshua Tree National Park, California

795,156 acres

Joshua Tree sits at the intersection of two deserts, the higher Mojave and the lower Colorado, and the park protects an otherworldly landscape of twisted Joshua trees, massive granite boulders, and vast desert plains. The park’s iconic Joshua trees are actually not trees at all but a species of yucca, and their strange silhouettes against the desert sky have become one of the most recognizable images in the national park system.

Beyond the Joshua trees themselves, the park is a world-class destination for rock climbing, with thousands of established routes on its granite formations. It is also one of the best stargazing parks in the lower 48 states, thanks to its proximity to vast stretches of undeveloped desert.

Good to know: Joshua Tree is only about 2.5 hours from Los Angeles, making it one of the most accessible desert parks in the country. Visit in spring for wildflower blooms or in fall and winter for comfortable hiking temperatures. See our 25 things to do in Joshua Tree.

Why Does Alaska Dominate This List?

You may have noticed a pattern here. Eight of the 15 largest national parks are in Alaska. That is not a coincidence. When Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980, it protected over 100 million acres of federal land in a single stroke, creating or expanding many of the massive parks we see on this list today.

Alaska’s parks are so large because the state itself is enormous (663,300 square miles, more than twice the size of Texas) and because much of the land was still undeveloped federal territory when these parks were established. The result is a collection of parks that dwarf anything in the lower 48 states, protecting some of the last truly wild landscapes in North America.

If you are interested in visiting Alaska’s incredible parks, we recommend reading our guide to visiting 8 Alaska national parks.

The Complete List of All 63 National Parks by Size

The 15 parks above represent just a fraction of the full national park system. From the massive Alaskan wilderness parks to Gateway Arch in St. Louis (the smallest at just 6.07 acres in its pre-expansion form), our national parks span an incredible range of sizes and landscapes.

For the complete list of all 63 national parks with detailed information on each one, see our complete national parks list and our ranking of all 63 national parks.

The Bottom Line

The 15 largest national parks in America protect some of the most magnificent and untouched wilderness remaining on this continent. From the colossal glaciers of Wrangell-St. Elias to the sweeping Chihuahuan Desert of Big Bend, these parks remind us just how wild and varied this country truly is.

Whether you are planning a bucket-list trip to the Alaskan backcountry or a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, we hope this list inspires you to experience the incredible scale of America’s greatest landscapes. These places are our shared inheritance, and they deserve our attention, our respect, and our protection.