The biggest U.S. national parks by acreage, led by Alaska's vast wilderness parks and followed by the largest parks in the lower 48.
Quick answer: 1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, 2. Gates of the Arctic National Park, 3. Denali National Park, 4. Katmai National Park, 5. Death Valley National Park, 6. Glacier Bay National Park, 7. Lake Clark National Park, 8. Yellowstone National Park, 9. Kobuk Valley National Park, 10. Everglades National Park.
The largest U.S. national parks are not the most visited icons. They are enormous landscapes, mostly in Alaska, where a single park can cover more land than some states. This list ranks National Park Service units designated as national parks by acreage. It is a size ranking, not a popularity ranking.
Wrangell-St. Elias is the giant of the National Park System, covering more than 8.3 million acres in Alaska. It is larger than several U.S. states.
Gates of the Arctic is a roadless Arctic wilderness north of the Arctic Circle. Its 7.5 million acres make it the second-largest U.S. national park.
Denali protects the highest peak in North America and a vast interior Alaska landscape. It ranks third by acreage among U.S. national parks.
Katmai is known for brown bears and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Its protected area covers more than 3.6 million acres.
Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. It spans desert basins, salt flats, mountains, and canyons across California and Nevada.
Glacier Bay protects a huge coastal wilderness of glaciers, fjords, rainforest, and marine waters in southeast Alaska.
Lake Clark combines volcanoes, turquoise lakes, salmon streams, and rugged Alaska wilderness over more than 2.6 million acres.
Yellowstone is the oldest U.S. national park and one of the largest outside Alaska. It spans Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Kobuk Valley protects Arctic sand dunes, caribou migration routes, and remote river country in northwest Alaska.
Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and the tenth-largest national park by acreage.
| # | Name | State | Established | Approx. square miles | Notable landscape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 13005 | Mountains and glaciers |
| 2 | Gates of the Arctic National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 11756 | Brooks Range wilderness |
| 3 | Denali National Park | Alaska | 1917 | 7408 | Denali and Alaska Range |
| 4 | Katmai National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 5741 | Volcanic valleys and salmon rivers |
| 5 | Death Valley National Park | California and Nevada | 1994 | 5326 | Desert basins |
| 6 | Glacier Bay National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 5037 | Glaciers and fjords |
| 7 | Lake Clark National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 4093 | Lakes and volcanoes |
| 8 | Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho | 1872 | 3468 | Geysers and volcanic plateau |
| 9 | Kobuk Valley National Park | Alaska | 1980 | 2735 | Arctic dunes |
| 10 | Everglades National Park | Florida | 1947 | 2358 | Wetlands and mangroves |
Parks are ranked by total acreage using National Park Service acreage reporting and cross-checked against NPS park records. Only units designated as national parks are included; national preserves, monuments, seashores, recreation areas, and other NPS units are excluded unless they are part of the park's official acreage entry.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is the largest U.S. national park, at more than 8.3 million acres.
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States.
Alaska has enormous public-land wilderness areas, and several major Alaska parks were established or expanded under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980.