See the beauty of all 63 U.S. national parks, in photos
From massive glaciers to sun-soaked beaches, national parks offer some of America’s wildest and most iconic landscapes.
Travel · By National Geographic Staff · Photographs by Jonathan Irish · Published February 28, 2019 · 15 min read
Topics: Green Travel, National Parks, Travel Photography, Photography, Parks, Nature Photography, Ecotourism, Environment, Travel
When the U.S. Congress established Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872, it was “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Its founding marked the birth of the U.S. National Park System and eventually launched a worldwide movement to protect outdoor spaces and historical landmarks. Since 1904, some 15 billion visitors have explored the wild wonders of the U.S. parks. Inspired by the National Park Service, photographer Jonathan Irish inspired by the visited every U.S. national park over 52 weeks. “[National parks] are sacred and cherished places—our greatest personal and national treasures,” says Irish. “It’s a gift to spend a year adventuring and capturing incredible images and stories in some of the most beautiful places on Earth.” Since Irish’s journey, the National Parks Service has designated four additional parks: the Gateway Arch in St. Louis; Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan; White Sands in New Mexico; and New River Gorge in West Virginia. There are now 63 spaces to explore across the country. Celebrate the grandeur of these priceless national treasures in images, from the crystalline waters of Dry Tortugas in Florida to the deep, dark recesses of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave.
1. Zion National Park, Utah
One of the most photographed views in Zion National Park is of Watchman Mountain from the Canyon Junction Bridge. Irish’s favorite spot is at the center of the bridge where the river leads the eye to the Watchman Spire in the background.
2. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho
America’s first national park, Yellowstone is home to wildlife from bears to bison and geological stunners such as hot springs and geysers. The Great Fountain Geyser, pictured here, erupts every 9 to 15 hours, shooting water up to 220 feet (67 meters) high.
3. Acadia National Park, Maine
Avoid the crowds at Cadillac Mountain and see the first sunrise in the country at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, in the southwest portion of Acadia National Park. Bikers looking for the best trails in the park should consider these trails, once carriage roads.
4. Yosemite National Park, California
Irish says the best time to see a rainbow in Yosemite is at night during a full moon. To photograph these so-called moonbows, he recommends a wide-angle lens, a tripod, and a lens cloth (to continually wipe off the waterfall spray). Visitors may want to consider staying at these 10 places when visiting the park.
5. Sequoia National Park, California
Nestled in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Sequoia National Park is nearly 97 percent wilderness. It holds over 2,000 giant sequoia trees, including General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest tree, measured by volume.
6. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Wizard Island, named for its resemblance to a sorcerer’s hat, juts into Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. The lake, which measures 1,943 feet in some spots, lends the park its name.
7. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The Grand Canyon National Park is a sprawling gorge of layers in pink, red, and orange hues, revealing millions of years of geological history.
8. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Fog lingers among the forested hills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans the southern Appalachians along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Water and hydrocarbons exuded by trees produce the filmy “smoke” that gives the mountains their name.
9. Death Valley National Park, Nevada
The largest national park south of Alaska, Death Valley National Park is known for extremes: It is North America’s driest and hottest spot (with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F), and has the lowest elevation on the continent—282 feet below sea level.
10. Redwood National Park, California
When author John Steinbeck stood in the presence of redwood trees—the tallest living things on the planet—he described the sensation as a “cathedral hush.” Among the trees preserved in Redwood National Park are the oldest, largest, and tallest of coast redwoods.
11. Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic National Park’s 73 miles of park coastline feature soaring cliffs, sea stacks, sandy beaches, rocky shores, and teeming tide pools.
12. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Schwabacher Landing and Snake River, made famous by Ansel Adams, draw photographers and nature lovers to Grand Teton National Park. The park’s jewel-like lakes, blue and white glaciers, and naked granite pinnacles enticed more than 3.5 million visitors in 2024.
13. Everglades National Park, Florida
Sprawling between South Florida’s Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf of Mexico, the Everglades is one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands and the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states.
14. Big Bend National Park, Texas
Recently named the world’s largest International Dark Sky Reserve, Big Bend National Park’s hundred-mile views sweep across the hills, arroyos, and mesas of West Texas’ Chihuahuan Desert.
15. Joshua Tree National Park, California
At Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert, these tough, gnarled plants are threatened by climate change.
16. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park, in southern Utah, draws more than 2.7 million visitors a year, thanks to its stunning geology of red arches and phantom-like spires, called hoodoos.
17. Arches National Park, Utah
With over 2,000 natural stone arches, Arches National Park is part of southern Utah’s extended canyon country, carved and shaped by weathering and erosion.
18. Grand Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park, which contains the highest sand dunes in North America, provides stunning views in the shadow of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
19. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Dry Tortugas National Park, located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, houses the 19th-century Fort Jefferson, pictured here. The park is also home to the third-largest coral barrier reef in the world and the only tropical reef in the continental U.S.
20. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Hidden under hills and hollows in Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park contains more than 400 miles of caves, including 10 miles of passages for guided tours.
21. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Walking along the park’s trails, visitors can see hills made of bluish clay and the largest concentration of brilliantly colored petrified wood in the U.S.
22. Biscayne National Park, Florida
Just five miles from the heart of downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park protects the northern end of the Florida Reef, the longest stretch of mangrove forest on Florida’s east coast, the southern part of Biscayne Bay, and 50 islands of the northern Florida Keys in the Atlantic Ocean.
23. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
One of the world’s oldest national parks, Mount Rainier became part of the federal system in 1899, shortly after its last eruption. It remains one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
24. Virgin Islands National Park, St. John
This pristine tropical reserve—covering almost two-thirds of St. John, plus 5,650 acres underwater—features a coral reef, more than 800 subtropical plant species, and crystalline Caribbean waters.