25 Largest (and 25 Smallest) National Parks

Above, Lower Yellowstone Falls. Where does Yellowstone National Park rank in size? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Do you know what are the 25 largest (and 25 smallest) U.S. national parks?

If you don't, but want to find out, 24/7 Wall St. has an article that will answer that question.

They begin it with

Interest in national parks has been soaring in recent years. In fact, total visits to U.S. national parks exceeded the population of the nation in 2016 alone. Exploring the wilderness, hiking through mountains and sleeping under the stars are just some of the experiences visitors to U.S. national parks can share with the pioneers who built the country. 

The national park concept was an idea championed by Theodore Roosevelt. As president, Roosevelt protected about 230 million acres of public land and signed into law the 1906 American Antiquities Act. This act set aside certain public natural areas as park and conservation land to be preserved for historic and scientific interest. These areas were designated as national monuments. Ten years later, Congress passed the Organic Act, creating the National Park Service. 

While Americans approve of preserving their land, setting aside areas as national parks and monuments has sparked controversy in the past, sometimes pitting conservationists against ranchers, developers, and even tourists. The latest chapter in this sometimes contentious issue involves the Trump administration, which is considering shrinking the size of more than two dozen national monuments and turning over the space for private use. 

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the size of all the national parks, historical parks, recreational areas and national monuments in the country to determine their size using data provided by the National Park Service.

Yellowstone National Park ranks at number 5 on the list of the 25 largest national parks.

To see the lists of the largest and smallest national parks, go here.