National Parks Timeline

The following is a chronological listing of the U.S. national parks sorted by the date of their authorization. As some parks held other designations prior to their authorization, additional historical information may be listed next to each park. In total, there currently are 58 U.S. national parks.

1872 March 1st – Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho)

1890 September 9th – Sequoia National Park (California)

October 1st – Yosemite National Park (California); originally formed as the Yosemite Grant in 1864, which was under state control

October 1st – General Grant National Park (California); was enlarged in 1940 and renamed Kings Canyon National Park

1899 Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

1902 Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

1903 Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

1904 Sullys Hill National Park (North Dakota); was transferred in 1931 from a national park to a national game preserve.

1906 Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

Platt National Park (Oklahoma); merged with Arbuckle National Recreation Area in 1976 to become Chickasaw National Recreation Area

1910 Glacier National Park (Montana)

1915 Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

1916 August 1st – Hawai‘i National Park; dissolved when Haleakala National Park and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park were formed in 1960 and 1961, respectively.

August 9th – Lassen Volcanic National Park (California); was originally designated a national monument in 1907
1917 Mount McKinley National Park (Alaska); was combined with Denali National Monument in 1980 and was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve.

1919 February 26th – Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona); was originally designated a national monument in 1908.

February 26th – Lafayette National Park (Maine); part of the park was originally designated Sieur de Monts national monument in 1916; was renamed Acadia National Park in 1929.

November 19th – Zion National Park (Utah); was originally designated Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909.

1921 Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas); was originally designated Hot Springs Reservation in 1832.

1924 Utah National Park; was originally designated a national monument in 1923 and was renamed Bryce Canyon National Park in 1928.

1926 Great Smokey Mountains National Park (Tennessee); was authorized in 1926, but not chartered until 1934 and officially dedicated in 1940.

Shenandoah National Park (Virginia); was authorized in 1926 and established in 1935.

Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky); was authorized in 1926 and established in 1941.

1929 Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming); was expanded in 1950 when Jackson Hole National Monument became part of the park.

1930 Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico); was originally designated a national monument
in 1923.

1931 Isle Royale National Park (Michigan); was authorized in 1931, expanded in 1934 and officially established in 1940.

1934 Everglades National Park (Florida); was authorized in 1934 and officially established in 1947.

1935 Big Bend National Park (Texas); was authorized in 1935 and officially established in 1944.

1938 Olympic National Park (Washington); was originally designated a national monument in 1909.

1956 Virgin Islands National Park (St. John/St. Thomas).

1962 Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona); originally designated a national monument in 1906.

1964 Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

1966 Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas); was authorized in 1966 and was officially established in 1972.

1968 North Cascades National Park (Washington).

Redwood National and State Park (California).

1971 Capitol Reef National Park (Utah); was originally designated a national monument in 1937.

Arches National Park (Utah); was originally designated a national monument in 1929.

Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota/Ontario); was authorized in 1971 and officially established in 1975.

1978 Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota); was originally designated the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park in 1947.

Badlands National Park (South Dakota); was originally designated a national monument in 1939.

1980 Channel Islands National Park (California); was originally designated a national monument in 1938.

Biscayne National Park (Florida); was originally designated a national monument in 1968.

Katmai National Park and Preserve (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument
in 1918.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1925.

Gates of Arctic National Park and Preserve (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1978.

Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1978.

Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1978.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1978.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska); was originally designated a national monument in 1978.

1986 Great Basin National Park (Nevada); was originally designated a national monument in 1922.

1988 National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa).

1992 Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida); was originally designated a national monument in 1935.

1994 Death Valley National Park (California/Nevada); was originally designated a national monument
in 1933.

Saguaro National Park (Arizona); was originally designated a national monument in 1933.

Joshua Tree National Park (California); was originally designated a national monument in 1936.

1999 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado); was originally designated a national monument in 1933.

2000 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado); was originally designated a national monument in 1932.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio); was originally designated the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in 1974.

2003 Congaree National Park (South Carolina); was originally designated a national monument in 1976.

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