There are currently 85 US National Monuments managed by the National Park Service. A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It is usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions.
US National Monuments
There are always questions about why some sites are National Parks while others are National Historic Sites versus National Historical Parks.
Each of the park names is a classification used by the National Park Service to describe the park. The names should not detract you from visiting a park that is not called a National Park.
There are 419 park sites within the National Park Service and they all offer something unique and amazing.
What is a National Monument?
A National Monument is a nationally significant land or water that has been set aside for permanent protection. While National Monuments may contain historic buildings and statues the goal of a National Monument is to protect the areas of land or water.
What US State has the most National Monuments Declared?
Arizona has the most declared US National Monuments. There are currently 13 National Monuments in Arizona.
Followed closely by 10 National Monuments in New Mexico.
What was the first National Monument in the US?
The 1st National Monument in the US was Devil's Tower which was established by President Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906
How Many National Monuments Are There in the US?
As of December 2020, there are 85 US National Monuments managed by the National Park Service.
You may see destinations listed as National Monuments that are overseen by other federal agencies including The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW).
Bureau of Land Management has 28 National Monuments
United States Forest Service has 13 National Monuments
US Fish and Wildlife has 13 National Monuments
Department of Energy has 1 National Monument
Armed Forces Retirement Home has 1 National Monument
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has 5 National Monuments
The United States Air Force has 1 National Monument
Some of these monuments are co-managed between agencies which can make it even more confusing. A few of the parks you probably hear a lot about that are not National Park sites include:
Bears Ears National Monument - Managed by Bureau of Land Management and US Fish and Wildlife.
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument - Managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Giant Sequoia National Monument - Managed by US Forest Service.
How are National Monuments established?
The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents of the United States the ability to establish National Monuments. Due to this most National Monuments are created by the Executive Branch of the government instead of the Legislative Branch.
National Monuments can only be created on land that is already owned by the government. A President can not create a monument on privately or state-owned property.
What is the Largest National Monument in the US?
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument has over a million acres but is not considered an official US National Park property. 200 acres of the monument which is managed by both the NPS and BLM are within Lake Mead NRA.
This makes Cape Krusenstern NM in Alaska the largest National Monument in the United States with 649,096.15 acres.
Complete List of US National Monuments in Alphabetical Order
African Burial Ground National Monument, New York
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas
Aniakchak National Monument, Alaska
Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, District of Columbia
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Alabama
Booker T. Washington National Monument, Virginia
Buck Island Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands
Cabrillo National Monument, California
Camp Nelson National Monument -Kentucky - Established October 27, 2018
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska
Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida
Castle Clinton National Monument, New York
Castle Mountains National Monument, California
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
César E. Chávez National Monument, California
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, Ohio
Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Colorado National Monument, Colorado
Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho
Devils Postpile National Monument, California
Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado, and Utah
Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa
El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
El Morro National Monument, New Mexico
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado
Fort Frederica National Monument, Georgia
Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland
Fort Monroe National Monument, Virginia
Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia
Fort Stanwix National Monument, New York
Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico
Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming
Freedom Riders National Monument, Alabama
George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia
George Washington Carver National Monument, Missouri
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico
Governors Island National Monument, New York
Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
Hohokam Pima National Monument, Arizona (Not open to the public)
Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado, and Utah
Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
Lava Beds National Monument, California
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Mississippi
Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument, Kentucky
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona
Muir Woods National Monument, California
Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
Navajo National Monument, Arizona
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Oregon
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Hawaii
Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona
Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota
Poverty Point National Monument, Louisiana
Pullman National Monument, Illinois
Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah
Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, New Mexico
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska
Statue of Liberty National Monument, New Jersey, and New York
Stonewall National Monument, New York
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona
Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah
Tonto National Monument, Arizona
Tule Lake National Monument, California
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada
Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Virgin Islands
Waco Mammoth National Monument, Texas
Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona
Yucca House National Monument, Colorado
List of US National Monuments by State
Alabama National Monuments
- Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
- Freedom Riders National Monument
- Russell Cave National Monument
Alaska National Monuments
- Aniakchak National Monument
- Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Arizona National Monuments
- Canyon de Chelly National Monument
- Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
- Chiricahua National Monument
- Hohokam Pima National Monument
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Navajo National Monument
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
- Pipe Spring National Monument
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Tonto National Monument
- Tuzigoot National Monument
- Walnut Canyon National Monument
- Wupatki National Monument
California National Monuments
- Cabrillo National Monument
- Castle Mountains National Monument
- César E. Chávez National Monument
- Devils Postpile National Monument
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Tule Lake National Monument
Colorado National Monuments
- Colorado National Monument
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Hovenweep National Monument
- Yucca House National Monument
Florida National Monuments
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
- Fort Matanzas National Monument
- Fort Matanzas National Monument
Georgia National Monuments
- Fort Frederica National Monument
- Fort Pulaski National Monument
Idaho National Monuments
- Craters of the Moon National Monument
- Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Illinois National Monuments
- Pullman National Monument
Iowa National Monuments
- Effigy Mounds National Monument
Kentucky National Monuments
- Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument
- Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument
Lousiana National Monuments
- Poverty Point National Monument
Maine National Monuments
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Maryland National Monuments
- Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Minnesota National Monuments
- Grand Portage National Monument
- Pipestone National Monument
Mississippi National Monuments
- Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
Missouri National Monuments
- George Washington Carver National Monument
Montana National Monuments
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Nebraska National Monuments
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
- Homestead National Monument
- Scotts Bluff National Monument
Nevada National Monuments
- Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
New Jersey National Monuments
- Statue of Liberty National Monument
New Mexico National Monuments
- Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Bandelier National Monument
- Capulin Volcano National Monument
- El Malpais National Monument
- El Morro National Monument
- Fort Union National Monument
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Petroglyph National Monument
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
New York National Monuments
- African Burial Ground National Monument
- Castle Clinton National Monument
- Fort Stanwix National Monument
- Governors Island National Monument
- Statue of Liberty National Monument
- Stonewall National Monument
Ohio National Monuments
- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
Oregon National Monuments
- John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
- Oregon Caves National Monument
South Dakota National Monuments
- Jewel Cave National Monument
Texas National Monuments
- Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
- Waco Mammoth National Monument
US Virgin Islands National Monuments
- Buck Island Reef National Monument
- Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
Utah National Monuments
- Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Hovenweep National Monument
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Virginia National Monuments
- Booker T. Washington National Monument
- Fort Monroe National Monument
- George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Washington National Monuments
There are currently no National Monuments in Washington State.
Washington, D.C. National Monuments
- Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
Wyoming National Monuments
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Fossil Butte National Monument
On December 20, 2019, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico became White Sands National Park. The 62nd National Park site!
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
If you enjoy visiting National Parks sites, make sure to check out my List of National Parks by State, a Free Printable checklist of the U.S. National Park Sites, U.S. National Historic Sites, U.S. National Historic Sites, U.S. National Historic Sites, U.S. National Historic Sites, National Heritage Areas, and National Seashores.