The East and the middle of the country have fewer national parks than the West, but they include some of the most loved, and the most visited.
Key idea
Parks east of the Rockies include the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), Acadia (Maine), the Everglades (Florida), Shenandoah (Virginia), Mammoth Cave (Kentucky), Big Bend (Texas), Hot Springs (Arkansas), Badlands (South Dakota), Gateway Arch (Missouri) and New River Gorge (West Virginia).
Why it works
Why are there fewer parks in the East? By the time people started making national parks, most eastern land was already owned by farmers, towns and companies. Parks like the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah had to be put together from land bought piece by piece, much of it given by states and private donors. Some eastern parks are new: Gateway Arch became a national park in 2018 and New River Gorge in 2020.
Worked example: Underground
Which park protects the longest known cave system in the world, and where is it?
- The park is named for its huge cave.
- It is Mammoth Cave National Park.
- It is in central Kentucky.
Answer: Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.
Common mistake
People think all the big-name parks are in the West. The most visited national park is the Great Smoky Mountains, on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, with about 11.5 million visits in 2025, more than twice as many as any other national park. Being close to millions of people in the East helps.