List of national parks of the United States by elevation

Death Valley National Park, notorious for its below sea level desert, also has soaring mountains, including Telescope Peak, its highest.

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 altitudes. 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.

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	Location of lowest point	Minimum elevation	Vertical relief
1	Denali	AK0573	Denali	Alaska Range	20,310 feet (6,190 m)	Yentna River [1]	240 feet (73 m)	20,070 feet (6,120 m)
2	Wrangell-St. Elias	AK0573	Mount Saint Elias	Saint Elias Mountains	18,008 feet (5,489 m)	Gulf of Alaska	0 feet (0 m)	18,008 feet (5,489 m)
3	Glacier Bay	AK0573	Mount Fairweather	Saint Elias Mountains	15,300 feet (4,700 m)	Gulf of Alaska	0 feet (0 m)	15,300 feet (4,700 m)
4	Sequoia	CA0621	Mount Whitney	Sierra Nevada	14,505 feet (4,421 m)	Kaweah River [2]	1,360 feet (410 m)	13,145 feet (4,007 m)
5	Mount Rainier	WA0621	Mount Rainier	Cascade Range	14,411 feet (4,392 m)	Ohanapecosh River	1,610 feet (490 m)	12,801 feet (3,902 m)
6	Rocky Mountain	CO0621	Longs Peak	Front Range	14,259 feet (4,346 m)	Big Thompson River	7,630 feet (2,330 m)	6,629 feet (2,021 m)
7	Kings Canyon	CA0621	North Palisade	Sierra Nevada	14,242 feet (4,341 m)	Kaweah River (North Fork)	3,480 feet (1,060 m)	10,762 feet (3,280 m)
8	Grand Teton	WY0621	Grand Teton	Teton Range	13,770 feet (4,200 m)	Fish Creek [3]	6,310 feet (1,920 m)	7,460 feet (2,270 m)
9	Hawaii Volcanoes	HI0621	Mauna Loa	Hawaiian Islands	13,679 feet (4,169 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	13,679 feet (4,169 m)
10	Great Sand Dunes	CO0621	Tijeras Peak [4]	Sangre de Cristo Range	13,610 feet (4,150 m)	near San Luis Lakes	7,520 feet (2,290 m)	6,090 feet (1,860 m)
11	Yosemite	CA0573	Mount Lyell	Sierra Nevada	13,114 feet (3,997 m)	Merced River	2,105 feet (642 m)	11,009 feet (3,356 m)
12	Great Basin	NV0573	Wheeler Peak	Snake Range	13,065 feet (3,982 m)	Snake Creek	6,195 feet (1,888 m)	6,870 feet (2,090 m)
13	Yellowstone	WY0573 MT0621 ID0621	Eagle Peak	Absaroka Range	11,358 feet (3,462 m)	Reese Creek	5,282 feet (1,610 m)	6,076 feet (1,852 m)
14	Death Valley	CA0621 NV0621	Telescope Peak	Panamint Range	11,049 feet (3,368 m)	Badwater	−282 feet (−86 m) [5]	11,328 feet (3,453 m)
15	Glacier	MT0621	Mount Cleveland	Lewis Range	10,466 feet (3,190 m)	Flathead River [6]	3,150 feet (960 m)	7,316 feet (2,230 m)
16	Lassen Volcanic	CA0621	Lassen Peak	Cascade Range	10,457 feet (3,187 m)	Hot Springs Creek	5,275 feet (1,608 m)	5,182 feet (1,579 m)
17	Lake Clark	AK0621	Redoubt Volcano	Aleutian Range	10,197 feet (3,108 m)	Cook Inlet	0 feet (0 m)	10,197 feet (3,108 m)
18	Haleakala	HI0621	Haleakala	Hawaiian Islands	10,023 feet (3,055 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	10,023 feet (3,055 m)
19	North Cascades	WA0621	Goode Mountain	Cascade Range	9,206 feet (2,806 m)	Goodell Creek [7]	605 feet (184 m)	8,601 feet (2,622 m)
20	Grand Canyon	AZ0621	Lookout tower near the North Rim's main entrance [8]	Kaibab Plateau	9,165 feet (2,793 m)	Lake Mead [9]	1,173 feet (358 m)	7,992 feet (2,436 m)
21	Bryce Canyon	UT0621	Rainbow Point [ permanent dead link ] [10]	Paunsaugunt Plateau	9,115 feet (2,778 m)	Yellow Creek [11]	6,565 feet (2,001 m)	2,550 feet (780 m)
22	Black Canyon of the Gunnison	CO0621	Poison Spring Hill [12]	Grand Mesa	9,040 feet (2,760 m)	Gunnison River	5,440 feet (1,660 m)	3,600 feet (1,100 m)
23	Capitol Reef	UT0621	park boundary near Billings Pass	Colorado Plateau	8,960 feet (2,730 m)	Halls Creek	3,877 feet (1,182 m)	5,083 feet (1,549 m)
24	Crater Lake	OR0621	Mount Scott	Cascade Range	8,929 feet (2,722 m)	SW corner of park [13]	3,990 feet (1,220 m) [14]	4,939 feet (1,505 m)
25	Guadalupe Mountains	TX0621	Guadalupe Peak	Guadalupe Mountains	8,749 feet (2,667 m)	SW corner near Williams Road	3,636 feet (1,108 m)	5,113 feet (1,558 m)
26	Zion	UT0621	Horse Ranch Mountain [15]	Colorado Plateau	8,726 feet (2,660 m)	SW corner near Rt.9	3,640 feet (1,110 m)	5,086 feet (1,550 m)
27	Saguaro	AZ0621	Mica Mountain [16]	Rincon Mountains	8,666 feet (2,641 m)	Rudasill & Sanders Roads, Tucson Mountain District	2,180 feet (660 m)	6,486 feet (1,977 m)
28	Mesa Verde	CO0621	Park Point Lookout [17]	Colorado Plateau	8,571 feet (2,612 m) [18]	Soda Canyon [19]	6,015 feet (1,833 m)	2,556 feet (779 m)
29	Gates of the Arctic	AK0621	Mount Igikpak	Brooks Range	8,276 feet (2,523 m)	Kobuk River [20]	280 feet (85 m)	7,996 feet (2,437 m)
30	Olympic	WA0573	Mount Olympus	Olympic Mountains	7,962 feet (2,427 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	7,962 feet (2,427 m)
31	Big Bend	TX0621	Emory Peak	Chisos Mountains	7,825 feet (2,385 m)	Rio Grande	1,715 feet (523 m)	6,110 feet (1,860 m)
32	Katmai	AK0573	Mount Denison [21]	Aleutian Range	7,606 feet (2,318 m)	Shelikof Strait	0 feet (0 m)	7,606 feet (2,318 m)
33	Canyonlands	UT0621	Cathedral Point [22]	Colorado Plateau	7,120 feet (2,170 m)	Colorado River [23]	3,730 feet (1,140 m)	3,390 feet (1,030 m)
34	Great Smoky Mountains	TN0621 NC0621	Kuwohi	Great Smoky Mountains	6,643 feet (2,025 m)	Chilhowee Lake	874 feet (266 m)	5,769 feet (1,758 m)
35	Carlsbad Caverns	NM0621	Guadalupe Ridge	Guadalupe Mountains	6,535 feet (1,992 m)	Black River [24]	3,596 feet (1,096 m) [25]	2,939 feet (896 m)
36	Kenai Fjords	AK0573	unnamed nunatak	Harding Icefield	6,450 feet (1,970 m)	Gulf of Alaska	0 feet (0 m)	6,450 feet (1,970 m)
37	Petrified Forest	AZ0621	Pilot Rock [26]	Painted Desert	6,234 feet (1,900 m)	BNSF Railway	5,200 feet (1,600 m) [27]	1,034 feet (315 m)
38	Joshua Tree	CA0621	Quail Mountain	Little San Bernardino Mountains	5,813 feet (1,772 m)	Southeast boundary of the park	536 ft (163 m) [28]	4,033 feet (1,229 m)
39	Arches	UT0621	Elephant Butte	Colorado Plateau	5,653 feet (1,723 m)	Colorado River	3,960 feet (1,210 m)	1,693 feet (516 m)
40	Wind Cave	SD0573	Rankin Ridge	Black Hills	5,013 feet (1,528 m)	Windy City Lake [29]	3,559 feet (1,085 m)	1,454 feet (443 m)
41	Kobuk Valley	AK0573	Mount Angayukaqsraq [30]	Baird Mountains	4,760 feet (1,450 m)	Kobuk River	40 feet (12 m)	4,720 feet (1,440 m)
42	White Sands	NM0621	NE30 [31]	Tularosa Basin	4,116 feet (1,255 m)	Lake Lucero	3,887 feet (1,185 m)	229 feet (70 m)
43	Shenandoah	VA0573	Hawksbill Mountain	Blue Ridge Mountains	4,051 feet (1,235 m)	unnamed stream at north end	530 feet (160 m)	3,521 feet (1,073 m)
44	Badlands	SD0573	Red Shirt Table	The Badlands	3,340 feet (1,020 m)	runoff channel SE of Ben Reifel Visitor Center	2,365 feet (721 m)	975 feet (297 m)
45	Pinnacles	CA0621	North Chalone Peak	Gabilan Range	3,304 feet (1,007 m) [32]	SE Corner [33]	824 feet (251 m) [34]	2,480 feet (760 m)
46	New River Gorge	WV0573	Swell Mountain	Allegheny Mountains	3,291 feet (1,003 m) [35]	New River [36]	900 feet (270 m)	2,391 feet (729 m)
47	American Samoa	AS0573	Lata Mountain	Ta'u Island, Samoan Islands	3,170 feet (970 m) [37]	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	3,170 feet (970 m)
48	Redwood	CA0573	Coyote Peak	Bald Hills	3,170 feet (970 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	3,170 feet (970 m)
49	Theodore Roosevelt	ND0573	Peck Hill	The Badlands	2,860 feet (870 m)	Little Missouri River	1,940 feet (590 m)	920 feet (280 m)
50	Channel Islands	CA0573	Devils Peak, Santa Cruz Island	Channel Islands	2,450 feet (750 m) [38]	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	2,450 feet (750 m)
51	Acadia	ME0573	Cadillac Mountain		1,530 feet (470 m)	Atlantic Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	1,530 feet (470 m)
52	Voyageurs	MN0573	Tower near Mead Wood Road entrance		1,410 feet (430 m)	Rainy Lake	1,108 feet (338 m)	302 feet (92 m)
53	Hot Springs	AR0573	Music Mountain	Ouachita Mountains	1,405 feet (428 m)	Bull Bayou	415 feet (126 m)	990 feet (300 m)
54	Isle Royale	MI0573	Mount Desor	Superior Upland	1,394 feet (425 m)	Lake Superior	600 feet (180 m)	794 feet (242 m)
55	Virgin Islands	VI0573	Bordeaux Mountain	Saint John Island, Virgin Islands	1,277 feet (389 m) [39]	Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea)	0 feet (0 m)	1,277 feet (389 m)
56	Cuyahoga Valley	OH0573	Black & Brush Roads	Glaciated Allegheny Plateau	1,164 feet (355 m) [40]	Cuyahoga River	590 feet (180 m)	574 feet (175 m)
57	Mammoth Cave	KY0573	Mammoth Cave Ridge near Park Ridge Road	Pennyroyal Plateau	925 feet (282 m)	Green River	421 feet (128 m)	504 feet (154 m)
58	Indiana Dunes	IN0573	Upland Trail, Pinhook Bog Unit [41]		900 feet (270 m)	Lake Michigan	577 feet (176 m) [42]	323 feet (98 m)
59	Gateway Arch	MO0573	Old Courthouse [43]		470 feet (140 m)	Mississippi River	433 feet (132 m) [44]	37 feet (11 m)
60	Congaree	SC0573	Old Bluff Road near main entrance		140 feet (43 m)	Congaree River	80 feet (24 m)	60 feet (18 m)
61	Everglades	FL0573	Calusa shell mound		20 feet (6.1 m) [45]	Atlantic Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	20 feet (6.1 m)
62	Dry Tortugas	FL0573	Loggerhead Key	Florida Keys	10 feet (3.0 m)	Gulf of Mexico	0 feet (0 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)
63	Biscayne	FL0573	Totten Key, Old Rhodes Key	Florida Keys	9 feet (2.7 m)	Atlantic Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	9 feet (2.7 m)

Selected Profiles

• The AT thru the Smokeys – The Appalachian Trail crosses through Great Smokey Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks. It reaches its highest point at Kuwohi.
• Skyline Drive map and profile – Skyline Drive runs the length of Shenandoah.
• PCT Elevation Profiles ^{[ usurped ]} – The Pacific Crest Trail goes through seven national parks.
  • North Cascades – Washington section K
  • Mount Rainier – Washington section I
  • Crater Lake – Oregon section C
  • Lassen Volcanic – California section N
  • Yosemite – California sections H & I
  • Kings Canyon – California section H
  • Sequoia – California sections G & H
• Wonderland Trail ^{[ dead link ]} – An elevation profile of the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.

See also

• List of U.S. states and territories by elevation
• List of national parks of the United States

References

1. 

   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 feet (150 m).

2. 

   2

   Sequoia topo

3. 

   4

   Teton topo
4. 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 (3,210 m) feet.
5. "Highest and Lowest Elevations". United States Geological Survey . Retrieved April 29, 2021.
6. Glacier

7. 

   7

   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 feet (110 m) at the Skagit River.

8. 

   8

   Grand Canyon topo – The highest lookout on the rim itself is Point Imperial whose elevation as given by the NPS is 8,803 feet (2,683 m).
9. Lake Mead Water Level, 1935–present; 1,173 feet (358 m) is the mean. The min and max are 1,125 feet (343 m) and 1,229 feet (375 m), respectively.
10. Bryce Canyon; Nature

11. 

    11

    Bryce topo
12. Black Canyon; Located on private property within the park boundaries.

13. 

    14

    Crater Lake topo
14. This is even lower than the bottom of the crater, which, at 1,943 feet (592 m) deep and with a surface elevation of 6,178 feet (1,883 m), would be at approximately 4,235 feet (1,291 m).
15. Zion
16. Saguaro
17. Mesa Verde For Teachers; #6
18. Mesa Verde Answer Sheet; #6 – The park map is mislabeled; therefore the answer given is incorrect.

19. 

    20

    Mesa Verde topo
20. Arctic – As the Kobuk River flows from park to preserve, its elevation is 675 feet (206 m); as it flows out of the preserve its elevation is 280 feet (85 m).
21. Katmai (Mt. Denison) – Other sources list Mount Griggs as highest.
22. Canyonlands

23. 

    24

    Canyonlands topo
24. Carlsbad Caverns – Cave Tours; The deepest cave chamber is 1,027 feet (313 m) feet below the surface.
25. Carlsbad Caverns; Hiking.
26. Petrified Forest
27. Petrified Forest topo; Official park map – As the Puerco River flows westward, it crosses out of federally owned land at 5,305 feet (1,617 m) feet; private land within park boundaries along the river to the west is at lower elevation.
28. Palms, Mailing Address: 74485 National Park Drive Twentynine; Us, CA 92277-3597 Phone: [phone] Contact. "Park Statistics - Joshua Tree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
29. "Wind Cave Exploration". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
30. Kobuk Valley FAQ's; #3
31. nps.gov Park statistics - White Sands National Park. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
32. https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/national-parks/ecology-pinnacles-national-park USGS Ecology of Pinnacles National Park. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
33. https://en-us.topographic-map.com/maps/aeey/Pinnacles-National-Park/ Pinnacles National Park topographic map, elevation, relief. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
34. https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/national-parks/ecology-pinnacles-national-park USGS Ecology of Pinnacles National Park. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
35. https://peakvisor.com/park/new-river-gorge-national-river.html Peakvisor, New River Gorge National River. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
36. Suiter, Dale W.; Evans, Dan K. (1999). "Vascular Flora and Rare Species of New River Gorge National River, West Virginia". Castanea. 64 (1): 23–49. ISSN   0008-7475. JSTOR   4034121.
37. nps.gov U.S. National Park Service. National Park of American Samoa - Plan Your Visit. [Map of the Manu'a Islands]. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
38. Island Facts: Santa Cruz Island
39. nps.gov U.S. National Park Service. Virgin Islands National Park - Plan Your Visit; Maps. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
40. 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.
41. Indiana Dunes National Park high point. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
42. Facts about the lakes. Retriefed July 16, 20221. ^{[ usurped ]}
43. Gateway Arch National Park high point. Retrieved July 16, 20221.
44. Elevation of Mississippi River, St. Louis, MO. Retrieved July 16, 20221.
45. NPS search

External links

• National Park Service
• Peakbagger
• www.climb.mountains.com ^{[ usurped ]}These two external lists may not necessarily agree 100% with Wikipedia's list, but serve as useful comparisons. The primary difference is that these lists do not include associated national preserves.
• Postholer Maps; contains clear, zoomable topographic maps of the entire USA.