DogRoute 109 Park Guide
America’s 63 National Parks at a Glance
Where every U.S. national park is, what it’s known for, when to go and how big it is, with a direct link to each park’s official National Park Service page.
Bringing your dog? Each park sets its own pet rules, and they can change with the season. Check the park’s official page before you go, and read the National Park Service’s guide to visiting with pets. For dog-friendly ranger programs, see our B.A.R.K. Ranger events list.
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Search by park or state, or pick a region.
Showing 63 of 63 parks
Acadia National Park
Granite coastline, Cadillac Mountain sunrises and 45 miles of historic carriage roads.
- Established
- 1919
- Size
- 77 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 4.1M
National Park of American Samoa
Coral reefs, rainforest and village culture; the only U.S. national park south of the equator.
- Established
- 1988
- Size
- 13 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 43K
Arches National Park
More than 2,000 natural stone arches, including Delicate Arch.
- Established
- 1971
- Size
- 120 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.5M
Badlands National Park
Eroded buttes and spires, rich fossil beds, bison and prairie dog towns.
- Established
- 1978
- Size
- 379 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.1M
Big Bend National Park
Rio Grande canyons, the Chisos Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert.
- Established
- 1944
- Size
- 1,252 sq mi
- Best time
- Nov–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 568K
Biscayne National Park
A mostly underwater park of coral reefs, keys and shipwrecks near Miami.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 270 sq mi
- Best time
- Dec–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 487K
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Sheer, dark canyon walls up to 2,000+ feet deep, including the Painted Wall.
- Established
- 1999
- Size
- 48 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 250K
Bryce Canyon National Park
Amphitheaters filled with the world's largest collection of hoodoos.
- Established
- 1928
- Size
- 56 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 2.0M
Canyonlands National Park
Island in the Sky, Mesa Arch and canyons carved by the Green and Colorado rivers.
- Established
- 1964
- Size
- 527 sq mi
- Best time
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 796K
Capitol Reef National Park
The Waterpocket Fold, slot canyons and the historic Fruita orchards.
- Established
- 1971
- Size
- 378 sq mi
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.4M
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
More than 119 caves, the vast Big Room and summer evening bat flights.
- Established
- 1930
- Size
- 73 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 411K
Channel Islands National Park
Five wild islands off the coast with sea caves, kayaking and the island fox.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 390 sq mi
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 227K
Congaree National Park
One of the largest old-growth bottomland hardwood forests left in the U.S.
- Established
- 2003
- Size
- 42 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 288K
Crater Lake National Park
The deepest lake in the U.S. (1,943 ft), filling a collapsed volcano.
- Established
- 1902
- Size
- 286 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 632K
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Brandywine Falls, the Towpath Trail and a scenic railroad between Cleveland and Akron.
- Established
- 2000
- Size
- 51 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 3.0M
Death Valley National Park
The hottest, driest and lowest park, with Badwater Basin at 282 ft below sea level.
- Established
- 1994
- Size
- 5,326 sq mi
- Best time
- Nov–Mar
- 2025 visits
- 1.3M
Denali National Park & Preserve
North America's tallest peak (20,310 ft), tundra wildlife and the park's sled dog kennels.
- Established
- 1917
- Size
- 7,408 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Aug
- 2025 visits
- 543K
Dry Tortugas National Park
Fort Jefferson and clear reefs about 70 miles west of Key West, reached by boat or seaplane.
- Established
- 1992
- Size
- 101 sq mi
- Best time
- Nov–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 89K
Everglades National Park
The largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., home to alligators and manatees.
- Established
- 1934
- Size
- 2,358 sq mi
- Best time
- Dec–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 778K
Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Roadless wilderness entirely north of the Arctic Circle.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 11,756 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Aug
- 2025 visits
- 15K
Gateway Arch National Park
The 630-ft Gateway Arch in St. Louis; the smallest national park.
- Established
- 2018
- Size
- 0.3 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 2.2M
Glacier National Park
Going-to-the-Sun Road, alpine lakes and more than 700 miles of trails.
- Established
- 1910
- Size
- 1,583 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 3.1M
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Tidewater glaciers and humpback whales, seen by most visitors from a cruise ship.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 5,037 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 740K
Grand Canyon National Park
A mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado River over 277 river miles.
- Established
- 1919
- Size
- 1,878 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 4.4M
Grand Teton National Park
The jagged Teton Range rising over Jenny Lake and the Snake River.
- Established
- 1929
- Size
- 484 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 3.8M
Great Basin National Park
Lehman Caves, ancient bristlecone pines and some of the darkest night skies in the country.
- Established
- 1986
- Size
- 121 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 161K
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
The tallest sand dunes in North America, with seasonal Medano Creek at their base.
- Established
- 2004
- Size
- 168 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 432K
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
America's most-visited national park: misty ridges, wildflowers and historic cabins.
- Established
- 1934
- Size
- 816 sq mi
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Oct
- 2025 visits
- 11.5M
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, and McKittrick Canyon's fall color.
- Established
- 1972
- Size
- 135 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 206K
Haleakalā National Park
A 10,023-ft summit on Maui famous for sunrise above the clouds.
- Established
- 1961
- Size
- 52 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 854K
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world's most active volcanoes.
- Established
- 1916
- Size
- 539 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 1.9M
Hot Springs National Park
Historic Bathhouse Row and naturally heated spring water in downtown Hot Springs.
- Established
- 1921
- Size
- 8.7 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 2.5M
Indiana Dunes National Park
15 miles of Lake Michigan beaches backed by dunes, wetlands and forest.
- Established
- 2019
- Size
- 24 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 2.6M
Isle Royale National Park
A remote Lake Superior island known for wolves and moose; reached only by boat or seaplane.
- Established
- 1940
- Size
- 893 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 29K
Joshua Tree National Park
Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet: Joshua trees, boulder piles and dark skies.
- Established
- 1994
- Size
- 1,242 sq mi
- Best time
- Oct–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 2.9M
Katmai National Park & Preserve
Brown bears fishing for salmon at Brooks Falls and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 5,741 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 34K
Kenai Fjords National Park
Exit Glacier, the Harding Icefield and fjords full of marine wildlife.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 1,046 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 425K
Kings Canyon National Park
Giant sequoias, including the General Grant Tree, and a deep glacier-carved canyon.
- Established
- 1940
- Size
- 722 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 780K
Kobuk Valley National Park
Arctic sand dunes and one of the great caribou migrations.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 2,735 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 8K
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
Volcanoes, turquoise lakes and coastal brown bears; reached only by small plane.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 4,093 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 20K
Lassen Volcanic National Park
All four types of volcano plus the boiling pools of Bumpass Hell.
- Established
- 1916
- Size
- 167 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 505K
Mammoth Cave National Park
The world's longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles mapped.
- Established
- 1941
- Size
- 113 sq mi
- Best time
- Year-round
- 2025 visits
- 661K
Mesa Verde National Park
Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace.
- Established
- 1906
- Size
- 82 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 463K
Mount Rainier National Park
A 14,410-ft glacier-covered volcano and the wildflower meadows of Paradise.
- Established
- 1899
- Size
- 369 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 1.6M
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
The New River Gorge Bridge, whitewater rafting and world-class rock climbing.
- Established
- 2020
- Size
- 11 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 2.0M
North Cascades National Park
Hundreds of glaciers, jagged peaks and turquoise Diablo Lake.
- Established
- 1968
- Size
- 789 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 47K
Olympic National Park
Three parks in one: Hoh Rain Forest, wild Pacific coast and glaciated mountains.
- Established
- 1938
- Size
- 1,442 sq mi
- Best time
- Jul–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 3.6M
Petrified Forest National Park
Fossilized logs, the Painted Desert and a stretch of historic Route 66.
- Established
- 1962
- Size
- 346 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 316K
Pinnacles National Park
Volcanic rock spires, talus caves and soaring California condors.
- Established
- 2013
- Size
- 42 sq mi
- Best time
- Feb–May
- 2025 visits
- 343K
Redwood National Park
The tallest trees on Earth, rugged coastline and Roosevelt elk.
- Established
- 1968
- Size
- 217 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.2M
Rocky Mountain National Park
Trail Ridge Road, alpine tundra and elk herds above 12,000 ft.
- Established
- 1915
- Size
- 415 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 4.2M
Saguaro National Park
Forests of giant saguaro cacti on both sides of Tucson.
- Established
- 1994
- Size
- 145 sq mi
- Best time
- Oct–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 848K
Sequoia National Park
The General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume, and Moro Rock.
- Established
- 1890
- Size
- 631 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.4M
Shenandoah National Park
105-mile Skyline Drive and a long stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
- Established
- 1935
- Size
- 313 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 1.7M
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota badlands with bison, wild horses and prairie dogs.
- Established
- 1978
- Size
- 110 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 730K
Virgin Islands National Park
White-sand beaches and coral reefs covering much of St. John.
- Established
- 1956
- Size
- 24 sq mi
- Best time
- Dec–Apr
- 2025 visits
- 471K
Voyageurs National Park
A water-based park of lakes and islands best explored by boat; northern lights in fall.
- Established
- 1975
- Size
- 341 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 206K
White Sands National Park
The world's largest gypsum dunefield, glowing white across the Tularosa Basin.
- Established
- 2019
- Size
- 229 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 660K
Wind Cave National Park
Rare boxwork cave formations below a prairie where bison roam.
- Established
- 1903
- Size
- 53 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 606K
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
The largest U.S. national park, with the historic Kennecott copper mill.
- Established
- 1980
- Size
- 13,005 sq mi
- Best time
- Jun–Aug
- 2025 visits
- 109K
Yellowstone National Park
The world's first national park: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring and wildlife.
- Established
- 1872
- Size
- 3,468 sq mi
- Best time
- May–Sep
- 2025 visits
- 4.8M
Yosemite National Park
El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls in a granite valley.
- Established
- 1890
- Size
- 1,190 sq mi
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- 2025 visits
- 4.3M
Zion National Park
The Narrows, Angels Landing and red cliffs above the Virgin River.
- Established
- 1919
- Size
- 230 sq mi
- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- 2025 visits
- 5.0M
Most visited in 2025
Recreation visits reported by the National Park Service for 2025.
- Great Smoky MountainsNorth Carolina, Tennessee11,527,939
- ZionUtah4,984,525
- YellowstoneWyoming, Montana, Idaho4,762,988
- Grand CanyonArizona4,430,653
- YosemiteCalifornia4,278,413
- Rocky MountainColorado4,171,431
- AcadiaMaine4,079,318
- Grand TetonWyoming3,800,648
- OlympicWashington3,584,187
- GlacierMontana3,136,557
State park dog rules by state
State parks set their own pet rules, and they often differ from national parks. Our guide covers leash limits, no-dog zones and pet beaches state by state, checked against each state’s official park pages.
Plan the trip
About this guide. Park names, states, establishment years and areas come from the National Park Service. Sizes are converted from federal acreage to square miles and cover the national park itself. Visit counts are 2025 recreation visits from the NPS 2025 visitation release. “Best time” is a general guide based on typical weather and road access.
Hours, fees, reservations, road and trail closures change often. Check the park’s official page and its current alerts before you travel.
Your dog can earn a B.A.R.K. Ranger badge at the park.
At home, they can earn a crown. Just for fun.
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