Can You Match the National Park to the U.S. State?

By: Tasha Moore
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Match the National Park to the U.S. State?
Image: John Krzesinski (Images by John 'K')/Moment/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Here's a nature challenge that's sure to expand your geography knowledge. Find out what's so special about the places that the U.S. government saw fit to conserve and protect. If we show you fascinating imagery of U.S. national parks, could you immediately recognize their locations? Find out how many national parks you know from a fact and a photo.

The Yellowstone Park Act of 1872 established the idea of a national park system, and 44 years later, the U.S. National Park Service was formed. The U.S. national parks system, which manages the nation's parks, historic sites and national monuments, serves three main purposes: preservation, education and recreation. Forty-nine out of the 50 U.S. states include one of 391 protected sites; Delaware is the only state that does not have a protected site.

In light of all the industry building that America has seen through the years, national parks preserve untarnished lands, some of which contain the archeological remnants of the country's first inhabitants or geographical structures that are the result of phenomena set in motion millions of years ago. Every year, millions of people flock to these fantastic sites to learn a thing or two about America's virgin territories and hopefully observe them the way the indigenous tribes and first settlers once did.

Get fiercely educated by some of this national park awesomeness!

Yellowstone
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A supervolcano was responsible for the hot springs and geysers at Yellowstone National Park. Can you name the state?
Wyoming
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Featuring most of Earth's geysers and hot springs, Yellowstone National Park is known as the first national park. The park was established in 1872 and is home to wolves, bears and herds of elk and bison.

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Sequoia National Park
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Choose the state that includes Sequoia National Park, which has some of the world's biggest trees?
West Virginia
California
Kentucky
Arizona
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

California's Sequoia National Park is particularly renowned for the General Sherman Tree, currently the biggest tree on Earth by volume. The towering redwood reaches 274.9 feet high with a base circumference of 102.6 feet.

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Half Dome towers over Yosemite Valley, California
Jeff Hunter / Photographer’s ChoiceRF / Getty Images
In 2010, the United States Mint unveiled a new quarter honoring Yosemite National Park in ________.
Rhode Island
Florida
California
Vermont
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 2010 Yosemite National Park quarter was the third unveiled as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program facilitated by the United States Mint. The tails side of the Yosemite National Park quarter features an image of Yosemite's El Capitan, the world's biggest granite monolith.

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Mount Rainier National Park / Do You Know If These Places Are in Canada or the U.S. hero
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President William McKinley signed legislation in 1899 to make Mount Rainier a national park. Where is this U.S. place?
North Carolina
Alabama
Wisconsin
Washington
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Washington state's Mount Rainier National Park is 365 square miles of mountains and forests. Indigenous Indians call the region "Tacoma." George Vancouver, a British pioneer who spotted the volcanic peak while surveying Puget Sound in 1792, named the park after Admiral Peter Rainier.

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crater lake
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Please identify the location for Crater Lake National Park, which features a volcanic caldera full of water?
Indiana
Oregon
Connecticut
Idaho
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The volcanic caldera at Crater Lake National Park is the hollowed-out remnant of a mountain known as Mazama that's filled with blue water. The resulting lake was formed nearly 7,700 years ago when an eruption caused the mountain's 12,000-foot peak to collapse.

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Wind Cave National Park
Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Moment/Getty Images
Wind Cave National Park contains one of Earth's oldest cave formations. Pick the U.S. state that features miles of underground chambers?
Nevada
Texas
South Dakota
Maine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Several hundred wild bison call South Dakota's Wind Cave National Park home. The park has sent over 1,500 bison to Native American tribes and organizations throughout the United States to assist with breeding new herds.

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Mesa Verde National Park CO
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Determine the U.S. state where Mesa Verde National Park in its southwest region includes roughly 4,500 archaeological sites?
Georgia
Massachusetts
Colorado
Ohio
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park in 1906 as the first national park to "preserve the works of man." The park's archaeological sites include 600 cliff dwellings. The Ancestral Pueblo people inhabited the land from 550 A.D. to 1300 A.D.

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Glacier National Park -- Montana / Do You Know If These Places Are in Canada or the U.S. 2
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Glacier National Park encompasses 762 lakes within the state of ________.
Delaware
Alaska
Wisconsin
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Glacier National Park's Lake McDonald is 6,680 feet wide, 440 feet deep and 10 miles long. Upper McDonald Creek is one of the park's 563 streams and stretches almost 26 miles. Of the park's 150 glaciers that existed in the mid-1800s, only 25 remain today.

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Rocky Mountain National Park
Brad McGinley Photography/Moment/Getty Images
How well do you know the region that contains Rocky Mountain National Park, which has offered an Artist-in-Residence Program?
Mississippi
Michigan
Colorado
Nebraska
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Artist-in-Residence Program at Rocky Mountain National Park welcomed three youth artists and three professional artists. The primary aim of the 2016 program was to involve young people in the arts and national parks.

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Haleakala National Park
Pierre Leclerc Photography/Moment/Getty Images
Try to name the area where you'll find Haleakala National Park?
Kentucky
Hawaii
Nevada
New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The summit at Haleakala National Park is 10,023 feet high. There are species in the Summit District of Haleakala National Park that are not found anywhere else on the planet, such as the Haleakala silversword.

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Volcanoes National Park
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________ Volcanoes National Park was designated as the 15th national park of the United States.
Maine
Ohio
Hawaii
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Established in 1916, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is evidence of 70 million years of volcanic activity. Different features at the park include the 13,677-feet-high Mauna Lao volcano, the Earth's largest.

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Lassen Volcanic National Park copy
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There are four types of volcanoes at Lassen Volcanic National Park in ________.
California
Delaware
Pennsylvania
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

California's Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the rare places on Earth where there are all four types of volcanoes: shield, composite, plug dome and cinder cone. The park also contains over 150 miles of hiking trails.

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Denali
Enn Li Photography / Moment / Getty Images
In 1917, Denali National Park was founded as Mount McKinley National Park. Identify the park's place?
Alaska
Hawaii
South Carolina
Connecticut
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Denali National Park was created to protect populations of Dall sheep, moose, caribou and grizzly bears. In 1980, the park was renamed Denali, which means "the High One." Denali is home to the highest mountain in North America, the 20,320-foot-high Mount McKinley.

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Acadia National Park
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Can you name the state where Acadia National Park was the first one of its kind founded east of the Mississippi River?
New Hampshire
Iowa
Montana
Maine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Maine's Acadia National Park is one of the smallest national parks in the United States, measuring 39,706 acres. Members of the eastern gentry first allowed access to Acadia's land that was financed by John D. Rockefeller, who feared the area would be destroyed by logging.

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Grand Canyon
FilippoBacci / E+ / Getty Images
In 1919, Congress inaugurated Grand Canyon National Park in the state of ________.
Colorado
Wyoming
Alaska
Arizona
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1901, Arizona Senator Ralph Cameron obtained toll rights to the main path leading to the Grand Canyon and charged visitors $1 for access. In 1987, Congress relieved the park, its visitors and its inhabitants of overhead aircraft traffic and noise by passing the National Park Overflights Act.

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Hikers in Zion
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Mukuntuwea (or Makuntaweap) National Monument is now part of Zion National Park in which region of the United States?
Missouri
Utah
Louisiana
Iowa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

President William Taft established Utah's Zion National Park on July 31, 1909. Through the years, Zion's Virgin River has carved out Zion Canyon as well as massive cliffs and rock configurations.

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Hot Springs National Park
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Do you recognize the locale that includes Hot Springs National Park, which has 5,500 acres of land?
Arkansas
Indiana
Wisconsin
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Native Americans have long believed that the hot mineral springs at Hot Springs National Park have therapeutic powers. The area was designated a national park in 1921, and the springs received federal protection as early as 1849.

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Bryce Canyon National Park / Do You Know If These Places Are in Canada or the U.S. 1
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Choose the U.S. hub for Bryce Canyon National Park that's within short driving distance from Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.
Delaware
Utah
New Hampshire
Connecticut
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The canyon at Bryce Canyon National Park in South Central Utah can be easily reached. A six-mile bike path and hiking trail connect the canyon rim to Bryce Canyon City. The park's most prominent features are its wind-carved rock formations.

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Grand Teton National Park
Betty Wiley/Moment/Getty Images
How well can you ID territory for Grand Teton National Park, which is roughly a third of the size of Yellowstone?
Wyoming
Colorado
Nevada
Iowa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yellowstone National Park borders northwestern Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park on the north. Established in 1950, Grand Teton has 320,000 acres that include massive granite walls that emerge from the Jackson Hole valley.

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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Matt Anderson Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is 23 miles southwest of Carlsbad in the state of New Mexico. Please name the U.S. state that you see.
Mississippi
Hawaii
West Virginia
New Mexico
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chihuahuan Desert plants at Carlsbad Caverns National Park include agave, ocotillo, prairie grasses, torrey yucca and prickly pear cactus. The park also boasts 331 species of birds, including black-chinned hummingbird and turkey vulture.

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Everglades National Park
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Do you remember the region that boasts Everglades National Park that was first realized by a landscape architect?
Maryland
Florida
North Dakota
Maine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Landscape architect Ernest F. Coe had the vision for Everglades National Park in 1928. On December 6, 1947, the U.S. government established the park, which is home to one of the most extensive wetlands on Earth.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes land in the states of ________ and Tennessee.
North Carolina
Nevada
Texas
Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934 and covers over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains region. Sixteen mountain peaks at the park ascend higher than 6,000 feet.

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Shenandoah National Park
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Most of the people that travel to Shenandoah National Park in ________ visit to see the colorful autumn leaves.
Iowa
Virginia
Michigan
Oklahoma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Skyline Drive twists 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park, which makes for scenic driving. The park is 75 miles from Washington D.C. and offers crisp views of the famed Blue Ridge Mountains.

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Olympic National Park
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Pick the name of the U.S. state where Olympic National Park is located on Olympic Peninsula.
Washington
Arizona
South Carolina
Vermont
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Olympic National Park spans across diverse ecosystems, including the Olympic Mountains and forest terrain. United States Congress established the 922,651-acre Olympic National Park in 1938.

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Kings Canyon National Park
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Do you guess the area of America where Kings Canyon National Park encompasses General Grant National Park?
Alabama
Vermont
Nebraska
California
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

General Grant National Park was established in 1890 and made part of Kings Canyon National Park, which was formed in 1940. Kings Canyon's General Grant Tree has a trunk volume of 46,608 cubic feet.

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Isle Royale National Park
Tim Bieber/Photodisc/Getty Images
Lake Superior's waters encircle Isle Royale National Park in what U.S. state?
Michigan
Nebraska
Montana
Delaware
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ninety-nine percent of the land in Michigan's Isle Royale National Park was designated a wilderness zone under the Wilderness Act, in 1976. In 2018, the park's administrators initiated a plan to reintroduce wolves.

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Mammoth Cave
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The forest of Mammoth Cave National Park, established on July 1, 1941, includes a portion of which state's diverse habitat?
Nebraska
Delaware
Wyoming
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mammoth Cave is a 400-mile-long network of limestone tunnels; the park estimates that 200 caves in the region are disconnected from the main cave, which is the most popular in the world. Roughly 2 million people visit the park annually.

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Big Bend National Park
David Hensley/Moment/Getty Images
Try to guess the region where you can find Big Bend National Park that features Chihuahuan desert land?
Louisiana
Georgia
Texas
Iowa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Established in 1944, Big Bend National Park comprises 802,000 acres and is home to 75 mammal species and over 440 types of birds. The Rio Grande River provides a crucial water supply for sustaining the park's ecosystem.

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Petrified Forest National Park
Sumiko Scott/Moment/Getty Images
Can you recall where one can find Petrified Forest National Park that was inaugurated in 1906 as the country's second national monument?
Arizona
Hawaii
Montana
Alaska
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park was registered as a protected national monument thanks in large part to locals who were worried about the theft of the region's fossilized wood. Petrified Forest became a national park on December 9, 1962.

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Canyonlands National Park
Posnov/Moment/Getty Images
On July 19, 1869, Major John Wesley Powell described Canyonlands National Park in ________, saying, "Wherever we look there is but a wilderness of rocks ..."
Pennsylvania
Utah
West Virginia
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2015, the International Dark-Sky Association awarded Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park status to Canyonlands National Park. The park's dark skies are a perfect stage for clear views of the Milky Way galaxy.

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Jeremy Woodhouse/Photodisc/Getty Images
World War II veteran Roger Eugene Reisch was the first employee of Guadalupe Mountains National Park in what U.S. territory?
Kentucky
Idaho
Texas
Georgia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nicknamed "Mr. Guadalupe Mountains," Roger Eugene Reisch was the only employee at Guadalupe Mountains for several years when it was administered by Carlsbad Caverns National Park. He remained the park's ranger after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation authorizing the region in October 1966.

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North Cascades National Park
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Where on a U.S. map are park facilitators at North Cascades National Park big on wilderness protection?
Wyoming
Delaware
Washington
Indiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The North Cascades Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 2, 1968, commissioned 685,000 acres of the national park. The authorization also established 550,000 acres at nearby Pasayten Wilderness to the east and broadened Glacier Peak Wilderness to the south an additional 464,000 acres.

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Redwood National Park
Carmen Martínez Torrón/Moment/Getty Images
Choose the U.S. state that's home to Redwood National Park, which is named for trees that can live as long as 500 to 2,000 years.
California
Hawaii
Texas
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Initially established in 1968, Redwood National Park was expanded in 1978. The state parks Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods and Del Norte Coast Redwoods in addition to Redwood National Park comprise a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.

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Voyageurs National Park
Posnov/Moment Open/Getty Images
What's the region of North America where you can find Voyageurs, the 36th national park?
North Dakota
Tennessee
Minnesota
Nevada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although the United States Congress established Voyageurs National Park in 1971, it did not open until 1975. The park gets its name from the birchbark canoe-paddling French-Canadian voyageurs of the 1700s and 1800s.

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Arches National park -- Utah
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Summer temperatures can reach higher than 100 degrees at Arches National Park in ________.
Georgia
Utah
Alabama
Ohio
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Authorized as a national park on November 12, 1971, Southern Utah's 120-square-mile Arches National Park is 76,359 acres and encompasses over 2,500 red sandstone arches. The park also features slickrock domes, massive balanced rocks and spires.

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Capitol Reef National Park
photography by p. lubas/Moment/Getty Images
Do you know the state where Capitol Reef National Park started out as a national monument in 1937?
Utah
Delaware
Iowa
New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1971, an act of U.S. Congress changed Capitol Reef National Monument to a national park; at the same time, the region expanded from 38,172 acres to 241,904 acres. The park is named for its huge white domes that resemble the U.S. Capitol Building.

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Badlands National Park in South Dakota
Posnov / Moment / Getty Images
We'll be impressed if you can identify the region of the world that contains Badlands National Park, a major fossil repository.
Pennsylvania
Iowa
Nevada
South Dakota
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Badlands National Park holds 75 million years of geological history. The region was once covered by an inland sea called the Western Interior Seaway. When waters subsided 37 million years ago, Badlands became a Black Hills sediment repository.

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Theodore Roosevelt National Park
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Select the home of Theodore Roosevelt National Park that features 70,447 acres of land in the western part of the state?
Maryland
Texas
North Dakota
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The U.S. Department of the Interior has teamed up with NASA since 1998 to test innovative remote sensing technology that has identified and mapped leafy spurge shrubs at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Wildlife at the park includes prairie rattlesnakes, prairie dogs and about 200 species of birds.

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Channel Islands National Park
Antonio Busiello/Moment/Getty Images
Five islands comprise Channel Islands National Park of ________.
California
Michigan
Nebraska
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The islands of California's Channel Islands National Park are Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Anacapa and Santa Rosa. President Jimmy Carter authorized the area as the 40th park of the U.S. national park system on March 5, 1980.

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Biscayne National Park copy
Wiki Commons by National Park Service
Name the state where you'll find Biscayne National Park, the largest marine national park in the United States.
Louisiana
Colorado
Florida
Indiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Roughly 5 percent of the 173,000 acres that comprise Florida's Biscayne National Park is land. Located in Miami-Dade County, Biscayne National Park was established to protect its ecosystem from heightened industrial and residential development.

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John Krzesinski (Images by John 'K')/Moment/Getty Images