Largest US National Parks by Land Area
When sorting purely by land area (excluding water boundaries), Alaska completely dominates the landscape, claiming seven of the top ten spots. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska is the largest US national park, covering more than 13 million acres – larger than 9 US states.
The following table ranks the top 10 largest US National Parks.
| Rank | National Park Name | State | Total Land Area (Acres) | Total Land Area (sq mi) | Defining Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias | Alaska | 13,175,765 | 20,587.1 | The largest unit in the entire system; larger than Switzerland. |
| 2 | Gates of the Arctic | Alaska | 8,472,369 | 13,238.1 | An entirely roadless wilderness untouched by trails or facilities. |
| 3 | Denali | Alaska | 6,045,153 | 9,445.6 | Home to North America’s highest peak and massive subarctic ecosystems. |
| 4 | Katmai | Alaska | 4,093,077 | 6,395.4 | Famous for its protected brown bear populations and volcanic landscapes. |
| 5 | Lake Clark | Alaska | 4,030,015 | 6,296.9 | Where three mountain ranges meet along a jagged, pristine coastline. |
| 6 | Glacier Bay | Alaska | 3,283,246 | 5,130.1 | A dramatic marine and alpine park centered on active tidewater glaciers. |
| 7 | Death Valley | California / Nevada | 3,408,396 | 5,325.6 | The largest national park in the contiguous United States. |
| 8 | Yellowstone | WY / MT / ID | 2,219,791 | 3,468.4 | The world’s first national park, sitting atop a volcanic hotspot. |
| 9 | Kobuk Valley | Alaska | 1,750,716 | 2,735.5 | Noted for the massive Great Kobuk Sand Dunes above the Arctic Circle. |
| 10 | Everglades | Florida | 1,508,938 | 2,357.7 | The largest continuous subtropical wilderness in North America. |
The National Park vs. Preserve Distinction: Many Alaska parks are legally bordered by adjacent “National Preserves.” This table restricts the measurements strictly to National Park land area, which excludes the neighboring preserve acreage where sport hunting is permitted.
The Contiguous Giant: Death Valley (#7) holds the title of the largest park in the lower 48 states. It spans an expansive desert landscape that is geographically larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
The Scale of Wrangell-St. Elias: At over 8.3 million acres of pure land, Wrangell-St. Elias (#1) is so massive that it accounts for roughly 16% of the entire National Park System’s total acreage.