Established 1/26/1915 Size 265,828.41 acres (1,075.8 km2) This section of the Rocky Mountains has ecosystems varying in elevation from the over 150 riparian lakes to Montane and subalpine forests to the alpine tundra. Large wildlife including mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, and cougars inhabit these igneous mountains and glacier valleys. The fourteener Longs Peak and Bear Lake are popular destinations.[54]
https://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm
Established 10/2/1968 Size 112,512.05 acres (455.3 km2) This park and the co-managed state parks protect almost half of all remaining Coastal Redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth. There are three large river systems in this very seismically active area, and the 37 miles (60 km) of protected coastline have tide pools and seastacks. The prairie, estuary, coast, river, and forest ecosystems have varied animal and plant species.[53]
https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm
Established 1/10/2013 Size 26,605.73 acres (107.7 km2) Known for the namesake eroded leftovers of half of an extinct volcano, it is popular for its rock climbing.[52]
Established 6/29/1938 Size 922,650.86 acres (3,733.8 km2) Situated on the Olympic Peninsula, this park ranges from Pacific shoreline with tide pools to temperate rainforests to Mount Olympus. The glaciated Olympic Mountains overlook the Hoh Rain Forest and Quinault Rain Forest, the wettest area of the continental United States.[50]
Established 10/2/1968 Size 504,780.94 acres (2,042.8 km2) This complex includes the two units of the National Park and the Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. There are numerous glaciers, and popular hiking and climbing areas are Cascade Pass, Mount Shuksan, Mount Triumph, and Eldorado Peak.[49]
Established 3/2/1899 Size 235,625.00 acres (953.5 km2) Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most prominent peak in the Cascades, and it is covered by 26 named glaciers including Carbon Glacier and Emmons Glacier, the largest in the continental United States. The mountain is popular for climbing, and more than half of the park is covered by subalpine and alpine forests. Paradise on the south slope is one of the snowiest places in the world, and the Longmire visitor center is the start of the Wonderland Trail, which encircles the mountain.[48]
Established 6/29/1906 Size 52,121.93 acres (210.9 km2) This area has over 4,000 archaeological sites of the Ancestral Pueblo, who lived here for 700 years. Cliff dwellings built in the 12th and 13th centuries include Cliff Palace, which has 150 rooms and 23 kivas, and the Balcony House, with passages and tunnels.[47]
Mesa Verde National Park is an American national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States.
Established 7/1/1941 Size 52,830.19 acres (213.8 km2) With 392 miles (631 km) of passageways mapped, Mammoth Cave is by far the world's longest cave system. Cave animals include eight bat species, Kentucky cave shrimp, Northern cavefish, and cave salamanders. Above ground, the park contains Green River (Kentucky), 70 miles of hiking trails, sinkholes, and springs.[46]
https://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm
Established 8/9/1916 Size 106,372.36 acres (430.5 km2) Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world, is joined by all three other types of volcanoes in this park: shield, cinder dome, and composite. Other than the volcano, which last erupted in 1915, the park has hydrothermal areas, including fumaroles, boiling pools, and steaming ground, heated by molten rock under the peak.[45]