National Park Life List

by Drew Hanson

Some people keep a life list of birds they have identified. This is my running list of every unit of the National Park System I have visited. Month and year usually refer to my first, not necessarily only, visit. These are great places to explore on foot.

1.      Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve, AK, June, 1979
2.      Isle Royale National Park, MI, July, 1981
3.      Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, July, 1982
4.      Badlands National Park, SD, June, 1990
5.      Devils Tower National Monument, WY, June, 1990
6.      Glacier National Park, MT, June, 1990
7.      Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND, July, 1990
8.      Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, MO, November, 1990
9.      Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI, February, 1991
10.   Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, June, 1992
11.   Colorado National Monument, CO, June, 1992
12.   Arches National Park, UT, June, 1992
13.   Canyonlands National Park, UT, June, 1992
14.   Bryce Canyon National Park, UT, June, 1992
15.   Capitol Reef National Park, UT, June, 1992
16.   Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, June, 1992
17.   Zion National Park, UT, June, 1992
18.   Manzanar National Monument, CA, June, 1992
19.   Death Valley National Park, CA, June, 1992
20.   Yosemite National Park, CA, June, 1992
21.   Sequoia National Park, CA, July, 1992
22.   Kings Canyon National Park, CA, July, 1992
23.   Pinnacles National Park, CA, July, 1992
24.   Golden Gate National Recreation Area, CA, July, 1992
25.   San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, CA, July, 1992
26.   John Muir National Historic Site, CA, July, 1992
27.   Muir Woods National Monument, CA, July, 1992
28.   Point Reyes National Seashore, CA, July, 1992
29.   Crater Lake National Park, OR, August, 1992
30.   Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, WA, August, 1992
31.   Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID, August, 1992
32.   Grand Teton National Park, WY, August, 1992
33.   John D. Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway, WY, August, 1992
34.   Yellowstone National Park, WY, August, 1992
35.   Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, MT, August, 1992
36.   Pipestone National Monument, MN, August, 1992
37.   Joshua Tree National Park, CA, May, 1993
38.   Big Hole National Battlefield, MT, August, 1993
39.   Custer Battlefield National Monument, MT, August, 1993
40.   Amistad National Recreation Area, TX, January, 1994
41.   Big Bend National Park, TX, January, 1994
42.   Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX, January, 1994
43.   Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM, January, 1994
44.   National Mall, DC, August, 1994
45.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial, DC, August, 1994
46.   Washington Monument, DC, August, 1994
47.   Lincoln Memorial, DC, August, 1994
48.   Thomas Jefferson Memorial, DC, August, 1994
49.   Richmond National Battlefield Park, VA, August, 1994
50.   Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC, August, 1994
51.   Buffalo National River, AR, March, 1995
52.   Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, WI, June, 1996
53.   Olympic National Park, WA, July, 1997
54.   Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, MI, August, 1997
55.   Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, ND, July, 1998
56.   Cabrillo National Monument, CA, July, 1999
57.   Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, WA, August, 1999
58.   Mount Rainier National Park, WA, September, 1999
59.   Fort Clatsop National Memorial, OR, October, 2000
60.   Appalachian National Scenic Trail, VT, August, 2001
61.   Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN, September, 2001
62.   Effigy Mounds National Monument, IA, February, 2002
63.   Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, MD, April, 2003
64.   Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV, April, 2003
65.   Shenandoah National Park, VA, April, 2003
66.   Hanford Reach National Monument, WA, August, 2003
67.   Scotts Bluff National Monument, NE, August, 2003
68.   Ozark National Scenic Riverways, MO, April, 2004
69.   Lincoln Home National Historic Site, IL, April, 2004
70.   Antietam National Battlefield, MD, August, 2005
71.   Casa Grande National Monument, AZ, April, 2006
72.   Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ, April, 2006
73.   Saguaro National Park, AZ, April, 2006
74.   Petroglyphs National Monument, NM, November, 2010
75.   Keweenaw National Historic Park, MI, August, 2013
76.   Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD, June, 2014
77.   Wind Cave National Park, SD, June, 2014
78.   Fort Laramie National Historic Site, WY, June, 2014
79.   Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, NE, June, 2014
80.   Niobrara National Scenic River, NE, June, 2014
81.   Mammoth Cave National Park, KY, December, 2015
82.   Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, KY, December, 2015
83.   Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, MO, March, 2016
84.   George Washington Carver National Monument, MO, March, 2016
85.   Pea Ridge National Military Park, AR, March, 2016
86.   Poverty Point National Monument, LA, March, 2016
87.   Arkansas Post National Memorial, AR, March, 2016
88.   Vicksburg National Military Park, MS, March, 2016
89.   Natchez National Historical Park, MS, March, 2016
90.   Natchez Trace Parkway, MS, March, 2016
91.   Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, MS, March, 2016
92.   Tupelo National Battlefield, MS, March, 2016
93.   Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, IN, March, 2016
94.   George Rodgers Clark National Historical Park, IN, March, 2016
95.   Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, KY, December, 2016
96.   Blue Ridge Parkway, NC, December, 2016
97. Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, NY, July, 2017
98. Women's Rights National Historical Park, NY, July, 2017
99. James A. Garfield National Historic Site, OH, July, 2017
100. David Berger National Memorial, OH, July, 2017
101. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH, July, 2017
102. Cowpens National Battlefield, SC, June, 2018
103. Kings Mountain National Military Park, SC, June, 2018
104. Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, OH, June, 2018
105. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, KS, July, 2018
106. Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM, July, 2018

107. Yucca House National Monument, CO, July, 2018
108. Natural Bridges National Monument, UT, July, 2018
109. Pullman National Monument, IL, March, 2019
110. Catoctin Mountain Park, MD, June, 2019
111. Monocacy National Battlefield, MD, June, 2019
112. Greenbelt Park, MD, June, 2019
113. LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac, DC, June, 2019
114. Capitol Hill Parks, DC, June, 2019
115. Ford's Theater National Historic Site, DC, July, 2019
116. President's Park, DC, July, 2019
117. Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, DC, July, 2019
118. Fort DuPont Park, DC, July, 2019
119. Civil War Defenses of Washington, DC, July, 2019
120. Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, DC, July, 2019
121. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, DC, July, 2019
122. Korean War Veterans Memorial, DC, July, 2019
123. FDR Memorial, DC, July, 2019
124. Constitution Gardens, DC, July, 2019
125. World War II Memorial, DC, July, 2019
126. Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, DC, July, 2019
127. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, DC, July, 2019
128. Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, DC, July, 2019
129. Curecanti National Recreation Area, CO, July, 2019
130. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO, July, 2019

131. Obed National River, TN, November, 2020

132. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI, August, 2021

133. Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, MN, October, 2022

134. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, IA, December, 2022
135. Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, MO, March, 2023
136. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO, June, 2023

137. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, CO, June, 2023

138. Federal Hall National Memorial, NY, July, 2023

139. Castle Clinton National Monument, NY, July, 2023

140. Fire Island National Seashore, NY, July, 2023

141. General Grant National Memorial, NY, July, 2023

142. Hamilton Grange National Memorial, NY, July, 2023


Although not units of the National Park System, other national monuments I explored:
- Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, NM, July, 2018 administered by BLM
- Bears Ears National Monument (both the Indian Creek and Shash Jaa units), UT, July, 2018 administered by BLM and USFS
- Sand to Snow National Monument, CA, May, 1996 administered by BLM and USFS, although my three days there were almost twenty years before it was proclaimed a national monument

- Browns Canyon National Monument, CO, June, 2023 by raft with family, administered by BLM

Not to be confused with my Wilderness Area Life List or High Points Life List.