America's National Parks At a Glance

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Alabama

Natchez Trace Parkway (NPS photo)

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

11288 Horseshoe Bend Rd. Daviston, AL 36256

256-234-7111

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is the site of the last battle of the Creek War on March 27, 1814. Major General Andrew Jackson’s army of 3,300 men attacked Chief Menawa’s 1,000 Red Stick Creek warriors fortified in a horseshoe shaped bend of the Tallapoosa River.  Over 800 Red Sticks died that day.  The battle ended the Creek War, resulting in a land cession of to the United States and created a national hero of Andrew Jackson.

Little River Canyon National Preserve

4322 Little River Trail NE Fort Payne, AL 35967

256-845-9605

Little River Canyon National Preserve protects what is sometimes said to be the nation's longest mountaintop river, the Little River. Little River is unique because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. The preserve contains natural resources such as forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, pools, boulders and sandstone cliffs. Little River Canyon National Preserve is a special place in the Southern Appalachians.

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

2680 Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo, MS 38804

800-305-7417

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Natchez Trace Trail, follows sections of the 450-mile Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace has 5 separate recreation trails totaling over 60-miles for hiking and horseback riding. The National Scenic Trial and Parkway commemorates an ancient path that began as a Native American Indian trail and has a rich history of use by explorers including Kaintuck boatmen, post riders and military men.

Natchez Trace Parkway

2680 Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo, MS 38804

800-305-7417

Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates the historic Old Natchez Trace and preserves sections of the original trail. The Parkway is a 444-mile long drive through amazing scenery and 10,000-years of North American history. Used by American Indians (Kaintucks), settlers, and future Presidents, the Old Trace played an important role in American history. Today, visitors can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding and camping.

Russell Cave National Monument

3729 County Rd. 98 Bridgeport, AL 35740

256-495-2672

Russell Cave National Monument is an archaeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. With a mapped length of 7.2-miles, Russell Cave is the third longest mapped cave in Alabama. Thousands of years ago a portion of Russell Cave's entrance collapsed, creating a shelter that would be home to prehistoric peoples for many years.

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

1616 Chappie James Ave. Tuskegee, AL 36083

334-724-0922

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site commemorates the contributions of African American airmen in World War II. This site is where the Army Air Corps began a military experiment to see if African Americans could be trained to fly combat aircraft.  Before the first African American military pilots became known as the Red Tails they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. 

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

1212 W Montgomery Rd. Tuskegee, AL 36088

334-727-3200

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site was established by the State of Alabama, influenced by Booker T. Washington, a former slave and a former slave owner to educate newly freed people and their children. The Institute (originally known as the Tuskegee Normal School), became a beacon of hope for African Americans to reach their goal of acceptance.

Alaska

Denali National Park & Preserve (NPS photo)

Alagnak Wild River

1000 Silver St., Building 603 King Salmon, AK 99613

907-246-4250

Alagnak Wild River is a 64-mile tributary of the Kvichak River. The headwaters of Alagnak Wild River lie within the rugged Aleutian Range of neighboring Katmai National Park & Preserve. Meandering west towards Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea, the Alagnak traverses the beautiful Alaska Peninsula, providing an unparalleled opportunity to experience the unique wilderness, wildlife, and cultural heritage of southwest Alaska.

Aleutian World War II National Historic Area

P.O. Box 149 Unalaska, AK 99685

907-581-9944

Aleutian World War II National Historic Area was a fiercely contested battleground in the Pacific during World War II. This 1000-mile long group of islands was invaded by Japanese forces in 1942, the only American soil occupied in the war. The Japanese took 42 Attuan villagers as prisoners of war and as a result; the United States evacuated 881 Aleutians from several other villages and placed them into duration villages in Southeast Alaska.

Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve

1000 Silver St., Building 603 King Salmon, AK 99613

907-246-4250

Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve is in a region around the Aniakchak volcano on the Aleutian Range. Given its remote location, challenging weather conditions, and high concentration of bears and wolves, Aniakchak is one of the wildest places in the National Park System. The park is only accessible by a long journey of flying, by boat, and/or backpacking. Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve is the least visited of all the units within the National Park System.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

P.O. Box 220 Nome, AK 99762

800-471-2352

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote U.S. National Park areas. This preserve protects what is left of the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000-years ago during the Pleistocene ice age. The majority of this land bridge now lies beneath the waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas. The Bering Land Bridge provided a pathway for plants, animals and people to cross from old world to new. Explore a dynamic wilderness dotted with hot springs, ancient lava flows and some of the largest maar (crater) lakes in the world. Ramble across tundra seeking muskox, caribou and signs of ice age life.

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

P.O. Box 1029 Kotzebue, AK 99752

907-442-3890

Cape Krusenstern National Monument is primarily a coastal plain, containing large lagoons and rolling hills of limestone. Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, the monument forms 70-miles of shoreline on the Chukchi Sea along with more than 114 beach ridges.  It is a region of permafrost, including typical thermokarst features. Hikers and boaters can see carpets of wildflowers among shrubs containing wisps of qiviut from muskoxen.

Denali National Park & Preserve

P.O. Box 9 Denali Park, AK 99755

907-683-9532

Denali National Park & Preserve is located in the interior of Alaska, centered on Denali (also known as Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America at over 20,000-feet (the word Denali means the high one). The park is 6-million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. The preserve is also home to tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, rock, and snow at the highest elevations. Wild animals of all sizes roam unfenced lands, living as they have for ages.

Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve

101 Dunkel St. Suite 110 Fairbanks, AK 99701

907-459-3730

Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, located north of the Arctic Circle, is the northernmost National Park in the U.S. and the second largest National Park unit. The park is slightly larger than the country of Belgium and contains parts of the Brooks Mountain Range. There are no roads or established trails in Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve. Local air taxis provide flight-seeing trips, day trips or overnight camp outs to remote locations within the park. Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve known for its polar bears, is America’s least visited park of the 59 National Parks within the National Park System.

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

P.O. Box 140 Gustavus, AK 99826

907-697-2230

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is in the panhandle west of Juneau, Alaska covering over 3-million acres. The park is covered with rugged mountains, glaciers, rainforest, coastlines and fjords. The preserve protects a portion of the Alsek River and its related fish and wildlife habitats. No roads lead to the park and it is most easily reached by air travel, ferries or by cruise ships.

Inupiat Heritage Center

5421 North Star St. Barrow, AK 99723

907-852-0422

Inupiat Heritage Center tells the story of the Inupiat people. They have thrived for thousands of years in one of the harshest climates on earth, hunting the bowhead whales. In the 19th century, these lonely seas swarmed with commercial whalers from New England, who also sought the bowhead for its valuable blubber and baleen. The center houses exhibits, artifacts, a library, gift shop and a room where traditional crafts are demonstrated and taught.

Katmai National Park & Preserve

1000 Silver St., Building 603, King Salmon, AK 99613

907-246-4250

Katmai National Park & Preserve is an active volcanic landscape and notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a 40-mile ash flow from the Novarupta Volcano that can be between 100 to 700 feet deep. Grizzly bears freely roam the park and eat upon the abundant supply of sockeye salmon. The park also has a wide variety of other Alaskan wildlife and marine life.

Kenai Fjords National Park

1212 4th Ave. Seward, AK 99664

907-422-0535

Kenai Fjords National Park contains the Harding Ice Field, one of the largest ice fields in the U.S. that dates back to the ice-ages. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Ice Field. The park is named for the numerous fjords carved by glaciers moving down the mountains from the ice field. Wildlife thrives in the icy waters and thick forests around this vast expanse of ice. Part of the park is accessible by road and is a popular tour destination. The remainder of the park is reachable by boat.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

P.O. Box 517 Skagway, AK 99840

907-983-9200

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park commemorates the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890s. The gold rush was in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and this park comprises staging areas for the trek there and routes leading in its direction. The park consists of four units: three in Skagway, Alaska and a fourth in the Pioneer Square National Historic District in Seattle, Washington. Thousands of people in an effort to ease the woes of economic depression, sold their farms, dropped their businesses and boarded ships to follow their dreams to the frozen north.

Kobuk Valley National Park

P.O. Box 1029 Kotzebue, AK 99752

907-442-3890

Kobuk Valley National Park is noted for the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and caribou migration routes. The sand dunes were created by ancient glaciers grinding rock. No roads lead to the park and there are no designated trails or roads within the park. Kobuk Valley National Park is reachable by foot, dogsled, snowmobile and air travel and the park is entirely above the Arctic Circle.

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve

95 Sterling Hwy Suite 2 Homer, AK 99603

907-781-2117

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve includes many streams and lakes vital to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, including its namesake Lake Clark. The park includes the shores of Cook Inlet, mountain ranges, tundra covered hills and glaciers. No roads lead to the park and it can only be reached by boat or small aircraft, typically floatplanes.

Noatak National Preserve

P.O. Box 1029 Kotzebue, AK 99752

907-442-3890

Noatak National Preserve was established to protect the Noatak River Basin in northwestern Alaska. The preserve is one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem. It is thought to be the last remaining complete river system in the U.S. that has not been altered by human activities. The river is classified as a national wild and scenic river and offers stunning wilderness float-trip opportunities; from deep in the Brooks Range to the tidewater of the Chukchi Sea.

Sitka National Historical Park

103 Monastery St. Sitka, AK 99835

907-747-0110

Sitka National Historical Park commemorates the Tlingit and Russian experiences in Alaska. On this island, a battle between invading Russian fur hunters and indigenous Tlingit took place. Tlingit and Haida totem poles can be found along the park’s scenic coastal trail. Russia’s little known colonial legacy in North America can be found in the restored Russian Bishop’s House in the park.

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Atka Island, AK 99547

808-422-3399

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument preserves and interprets the stories of the Pacific War, including the events at Pearl Harbor, the internment of Japanese Americans, the battles in the Aleutians and the occupation of Japan. World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument encompassed nine sites in three states including the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Utah Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, the Six Chief Petty Officer Bungalows on Ford Island and Mooring Quays F6, F7, and F8, which formed part of Battleship Row in Honolulu, Hawaii.

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument also protects Battlefield remnants on Attu Island, Japanese occupation site on Kiska Island and crash site of B-24D Liberator Bomber on Atka Island in Alaska. In California, it protects the Tule Lake War Relocation Center.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

106.8 Richardson Hwy Copper Center, AK 99573

907-822-7250

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve form the largest area managed by the National Park Service in the U.S. The park contains the Chugach, Wrangell and St. Elias mountain ranges. History buffs can explore old copper-mine buildings, the former mining boomtown of McCarthy and the ghost town of Kennicott. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve offers endless opportunities to explore and discover. Activities such as backpacking, hiking, biking, kayaking, river trips, hunting and fishing are abundant. The biggest difference between park and preserve lands is that sport hunting is prohibited in the park and permitted in the preserve.

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve

P.O. Box 167 Eagle, AK 99738

907-547-2233

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve is located in interior Alaska and offers exploration in a largely untouched landscape. The preserve protects the undeveloped Charley River and a significant portion of the upper Yukon. The interior Alaskan region experiences extremes of weather, with temperatures that can vary from -50 °F in winter to 97 °F in summertime. During the summer, float trips are popular on the Yukon and Charley Rivers. In the winter, the preserve includes part of the route of the annual Yukon Quest dogsled race.

Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park (Thomas Crochetiere photo)

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

P.O. Box 588 Chinle, AZ 86503

928-674-5500

Canyon de Chelly National Monument preserves ruins of the early American Indian tribes that lived in the area, including the Ancient Puebloans and Navajo. For nearly 5,000-years, people have lived in these canyons. The monument encompasses the floors and rims of three major canyons. These canyons are the de Chelly, del Muerto and Monument. They were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska Mountains, to the east of the monument.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is owned by the Navajo Nation and is the only NPS unit that is owned and cooperatively managed in this manner. Today, Navajo families make their homes, raise livestock, and farm the lands in these canyons. Travel to the canyon floor can only be accessed when accompanied by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

1100 W. Ruins Dr. Coolidge, AZ 85128

520-723-3172

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves a group of Ancient Puebloan Peoples Hohokam structures of the Pueblo III and Pueblo IV Eras. Casa Grande is Spanish for big house and refers to the largest structure on the site. This site contains the remains of a four story structure that may have been abandoned by 1450. A superstructure was erected over the ruins to help protect the remaining ruins from accelerated decay. Whether the Casa Grande was a gathering place for the Desert People or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of canals and trading partners is but part of the mystique of the Ruins.

Chiricahua National Monument

12856 East Rhyolite Creek Rd. Willcox, AZ 85643

520-824-3560

Chiricahua National Monument is famous for its extensive vertical rock formations and also preserves the Faraway Ranch. Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson once owned this ranch and called this place home. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17-miles of hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this park.

Coronado National Memorial

4101 E. Montezuma Canyon Rd. Hereford, AZ 85615

520-366-5515

Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. It was a journey of conquest, filled with exploration, wonder and cruelty. Hundreds of European soldiers and over a thousand Indian allies embarked on this journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains in their search for vast cities of gold. They brought rich traditions and new technology into the region, irrevocably changing the lives of native peoples and continuing to