List of U.S. National Parks by elevation

This is a list of United States National Parks by elevation. Most of America's national parks are located in mountainous areas. Even among those located close to the ocean, not all are flat. Those few that are low lying preserve important natural habitats that could never exist at high altitude. Several national parks protect deep canyons with great vertical relief. There are also three national parks whose primary features are caves, the depths of which are still being explored.

Contents

Highest and lowest points in each US National Park

Criteria: Points on this list are the highest and lowest points within each national park and its associated national preserve, if it has one. It does not include adjacent or associated national recreation areas, parkways, memorials, or forests, but does include private property within park boundaries. Footnotes are given to mention other notable high or low points, when appropriate.

Rank Park Location Peak Name Mountain Range Elevation (ft) Location of Lowest Point Minimum Elevation (ft) Vertical Relief (ft)
1 Denali AK0573 Mount McKinley Alaska Range 20,320 Yentna River[1] 240 20,080
2 Wrangell-St. Elias AK0573 Mount Saint Elias Saint Elias Mountains 18,008 Gulf of Alaska 0 18,008
3 Glacier Bay AK0573 Mount Fairweather Saint Elias Mountains 15,300 Gulf of Alaska 0 15,300
4 Sequoia CA0621 Mount Whitney Sierra Nevada 14,505 Kaweah River[2] 1,360 13,145
5 Mount Rainier WA0621 Mount Rainier Cascade Range 14,411 Ohanapecosh River 1,610 12,801
6 Rocky Mountain CO0621 Longs Peak Front Range 14,259 Big Thompson River 7,630 6,629
7 Kings Canyon CA0621 North Palisade Sierra Nevada 14,242 Kaweah River (North Fork)[3] 3,480 10,762
8 Grand Teton WY0621 Grand Teton Teton Range 13,770 Fish Creek[4] 6,310 7,460
9 Hawaii Volcanoes HI0621 Mauna Loa Hawaiian Islands 13,679 Pacific Ocean 0 13,679
10 Great Sand Dunes CO0621 Tijeras Peak[5] Sangre de Cristo Range 13,604 near San Luis Lakes 7,520 6,084
11 Yosemite CA0573 Mount Lyell Sierra Nevada 13,114 Merced River 2,105 11,009
12 Great Basin NV0573 Wheeler Peak Snake Range 13,065 Snake Creek 6,195 6,870
13 Yellowstone WY0573MT0621ID0621 Eagle Peak Absaroka Range 11,358 Reese Creek 5,282 6,076
14 Death Valley CA0621NV0621 Telescope Peak Panamint Range 11,049 Badwater −282[6] 11,331
15 Glacier MT0621 Mount Cleveland Lewis Range 10,466 Flathead River[7] 3,150 7,316
16 Lassen Volcanic CA0621 Lassen Peak Cascade Range 10,457 Hot Springs Creek 5,275 5,182
17 Lake Clark AK0621 Redoubt Volcano Aleutian Range 10,197 Cook Inlet 0 10,197
18 Haleakala HI0621 Haleakala Hawaiian Islands 10,023 Pacific Ocean 0 10,023
19 North Cascades WA0621 Goode Mountain Cascade Range 9,206 Goodell Creek[8] 605 8,601
20 Grand Canyon AZ0621 Lookout tower near the North Rim's main entrance[9] Kaibab Plateau 9,165 Lake Mead[10] 1,173 7,992
21 Bryce Canyon UT0621 Rainbow Point[1][11] Paunsaugunt Plateau 9,115 Yellow Creek[12] 6,565 2,550
22 Black Canyon of the Gunnison CO0621 Poison Spring Hill[13] Grand Mesa 9,040 Gunnison River[14] 5,440 3,600
23 Capitol Reef UT0621 park boundary near Billings Pass Colorado Plateau 8,960 Halls Creek 3,877 5,083
24 Crater Lake OR0621 Mount Scott Cascade Range 8,929 SW corner of park[15] 3,990[16] 4,939
25 Guadalupe Mountains TX0621 Guadalupe Peak Guadalupe Mountains 8,749 SW corner near Williams Road 3,636 5,113
26 Zion UT0621 Horse Ranch Mountain[17] Colorado Plateau 8,726 SW corner near Rt.9 3,640 5,086
27 Saguaro AZ0621 Mica Mountain[18] Rincon Mountains 8,666 Rudasill & Sanders Roads, Tucson Mountain District 2,180 6,486
28 Mesa Verde CO0621 Park Point Lookout[2][19] Colorado Plateau 8,571[20] Soda Canyon[21] 6,015 2,556
29 Gates of the Arctic AK0621 Mount Igikpak Brooks Range 8,276 Kobuk River[22] 280 7,996
30 Olympic WA0573 Mount Olympus Olympic Mountains 7,962 Pacific Ocean 0 7,962
31 Big Bend TX0621 Emory Peak Chisos Mountains 7,825 Rio Grande 1,715 6,110
32 Katmai AK0573 Mount Denison[23] Aleutian Range 7,606 Shelikof Strait 0 7,606
33 Canyonlands UT0621 Cathedral Point[24] Colorado Plateau 7,120 Colorado River[25] 3,730 3,390
34 Great Smoky Mountains TN0621NC0621 Clingmans Dome Great Smoky Mountains 6,643 Chilhowee Lake 874 5,769
35 Carlsbad Caverns NM0621 Guadalupe Ridge Guadalupe Mountains 6,535 Black River[26] 3,596[27] 2,939
36 Kenai Fjords AK0573 unnamed nunatak Harding Icefield 6,450 Gulf of Alaska 0 6,450
37 Petrified Forest AZ0621 Pilot Rock[28] Painted Desert 6,234 BNSF Railway 5,200[29] 1,034
38 Joshua Tree CA0621 Quail Mountain Little San Bernardino Mountains 5,813 Colorado River Aqueduct 1,780[30] 4,033
39 Arches UT0621 Elephant Butte[3] Colorado Plateau 5,653 Colorado River 3,960 1,693
40 Wind Cave SD0573 Rankin Ridge[4] Black Hills 5,013 Beaver Creek[31] 3,559 1,454
41 Kobuk Valley AK0573 Mount Angayukaqsraq[32] Baird Mountains 4,760 Kobuk River 40 4,720
42 Shenandoah VA0573 Hawksbill Mountain Blue Ridge Mountains 4,051 unnamed stream at north end 530[33] 3,521
43 Badlands SD0573 Red Shirt Table The Badlands 3,340 runoff channel SE of Ben Reifel Visitor Center 2,365 975
44 Redwood CA0573 Coyote Peak Bald Hills 3,170 Pacific Ocean 0 3,170
45 Teddy Roosevelt ND0573 Peck Hill The Badlands 2,860 Little Missouri River 1,940 920
46 Channel Islands CA0573 El Montañon, Santa Cruz Island Channel Islands 1,812[34] Pacific Ocean 0 1,812
47 Acadia ME0573 Cadillac Mountain 1,530 Atlantic Ocean 0 1,530
48 Voyageurs MN0573 Tower near Mead Wood Road entrance 1,410 Rainy Lake 1,108 302
49 Hot Springs AR0573 Music Mountain Ouachita Mountains 1,405 Bull Bayou 415 990
50 Isle Royale MI0573 Mount Desor Superior Upland 1,394 Lake Superior 600 794
51 Cuyahoga OH0573 Black & Brush Roads Glaciated Allegheny Plateau 1,164[35] Cuyahoga River 590 574
52 Mammoth Cave KY0573 Mammoth Cave Ridge near Park Ridge Road Pennyroyal Plateau 925 Green River 421 504
53 Congaree SC0573 Old Bluff Road near main entrance 140 Congaree River 80 60
54 Everglades FL0573 Calusa shell mound 20[36] Atlantic Ocean 0 20
55 Dry Tortugas FL0573 Loggerhead Key Florida Keys 10 Gulf of Mexico 0 10
56 Biscayne FL0573 Totten Key, Old Rhodes Key Florida Keys 9 Atlantic Ocean 0 9

Additional National parks:
45-- American Samoa: Lata Mountain is the highest point of American Samoa, on the island of Ta'u at 963 m (3,159 ft)Lata Mountain
51 - U.S. Virgin Islands. Highest Point in the park is Bourdeaux Mountain 1,277 feet (389 m). Outside of the park, the highest peak is Crown Mountain at 474 m (1,555 ft)Crown Mountain (United States Virgin Islands)

Selected Profiles

See also

References

  1. ^ Denali topo - The Yentna River is in the preserve portion of Denali; the Bearpaw River is the lowest point in the designated park, at 493'.
  2. ^ Sequoia topo
  3. ^ Kings Canyon topo - This topo show the Kings River as it flow out of main section of the park; the lowest point in the entire park is on the Kaweah River at the junction of Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, and the General Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon National Park.
  4. ^ Teton topo
  5. ^ Great Sand Dunes FAQ's; #11 - Tijeras Peak is in the preserve portion of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The highest point in the park excluding the preserve is on the north border line between park and preserve, southwest of Mount Herard, at an altitude of 10,520 feet.
  6. ^ "Elevations and Distances in the United States". Reston, Virginia: USGS. April 29, 2005. http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html. Retrieved October 24, 2011.  Originally published in 1995.
  7. ^ Glacier
  8. ^ N. Cascades topo - Goodell Creek is at the lowest elevation in N. Cascades Nat'l Park; the adjoining and jointly managed Ross Lake National Recreation Area descends to 350' at the Skagit River.
  9. ^ Grand Canyon topo - The highest lookout on the rim itself is Point Imperial whose elevation as given by the NPS is 8,803'.
  10. ^ Lake Mead Water Level, 1935-present; 1,173' is the mean. The min and max are 1,125' and 1,229', respectively.
  11. ^ Bryce Canyon; Nature
  12. ^ Bryce topo
  13. ^ Black Canyon; Located on private property within the park boundaries.
  14. ^ Gunnison topo
  15. ^ Crater Lake topo
  16. ^ This is even lower than the bottom of the crater, which, at 1,943' deep and with a surface elevation of 6,178', would be at approximately 4,235'.
  17. ^ Zion
  18. ^ Saguaro
  19. ^ Mesa Verde For Teachers; #6
  20. ^ Mesa Verde Answer Sheet; #6 - The park map is mislabeled; therefore the answer given is incorrect.
  21. ^ Mesa Verde topo
  22. ^ Arctic - As the Kobuk River flows from park to preserve, its elevation is 675'; as it flows out of the preserve its elevation is 280'.
  23. ^ Katmai (Mt. Denison) - Other sources list Mount Griggs as highest.
  24. ^ Canyonlands
  25. ^ Canyonlands topo
  26. ^ Carlsbad Caverns - Cave Tours ; The deepest cave chamber is 1,027 feet below the surface.
  27. ^ Carlsbad Caverns; Hiking.
  28. ^ Petrified Forest
  29. ^ Petrified Forest topo; Official park map - As the Puerco River flows westward, it crosses out of federally owned land at 5,305 feet; private land within park boundaries along the river to the west is at lower elevation.
  30. ^ Joshua topo - The aqueduct is most likely located on its own right-of-way, therefore, park land may not necessarily extend to the water's edge.
  31. ^ Wind Cave-Cave Q&A; The deepest point inside the cave is at the surface of several subterrainian lakes, situated at 3,630 ft.
  32. ^ Kobuk Valley FAQ's; #3
  33. ^ Shenandoah topo
  34. ^ Channel Islands - There is a higher peak on Santa Cruz, Devil's Peak, but it is on land owned by the Nature Conservancy and is not part of the national park.
  35. ^ Cuyahoga - Land ownership in Cuyahoga Nat'l Park is often difficult to ascertain, and therefore there is some ambiguity regarding this park's true highpoint.
  36. ^ NPS search

External links

National parks of the United States
Acadia • American Samoa • Arches • Badlands • Big Bend • Biscayne • Black Canyon of the Gunnison • Bryce Canyon • Canyonlands • Capitol Reef • Carlsbad Caverns • Channel Islands • Congaree • Crater Lake • Cuyahoga Valley • Death Valley • Denali • Dry Tortugas • Everglades • Gates of the Arctic • Glacier • Glacier Bay • Grand Canyon • Grand Teton • Great Basin • Great Sand Dunes • Great Smoky Mountains • Guadalupe Mountains • Haleakalā • Hawaiʻi Volcanoes • Hot Springs • Isle Royale • Joshua Tree • Katmai • Kenai Fjords • Kings Canyon • Kobuk Valley • Lake Clark • Lassen Volcanic • Mammoth Cave • Mesa Verde • Mount Rainier • North Cascades • Olympic • Petrified Forest • Redwood • Rocky Mountain • Saguaro • Sequoia • Shenandoah • Theodore Roosevelt • Virgin Islands • Voyageurs • Wind Cave • Wrangell-St. Elias • Yellowstone • Yosemite • Zion