List of U.S. National Parks by elevation

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 altitude. 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.

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

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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		Telescope Peak	Panamint Range	11,049 feet (3,368 m)	Badwater	−279 feet (−85 m)[5]	11,328 feet (3,453 m)
15	Glacier		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		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		Redoubt Volcano	Aleutian Range	10,197 feet (3,108 m)	Cook Inlet	0 feet (0 m)	10,197 feet (3,108 m)
18	Haleakala		Haleakala	Hawaiian Islands	10,023 feet (3,055 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	10,023 feet (3,055 m)
19	North Cascades		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		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		Rainbow Point [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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		Clingmans Dome	Great Smoky Mountains	6,643 feet (2,025 m)	Chilhowee Lake	874 feet (266 m)	5,769 feet (1,758 m)
35	Carlsbad Caverns		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		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		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		Quail Mountain	Little San Bernardino Mountains	5,813 feet (1,772 m)	Colorado River Aqueduct	1,780 feet (540 m)[28]	4,033 feet (1,229 m)
39	Arches		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		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		Mount Angayukaqsraq[30]	Baird Mountains	4,760 feet (1,450 m)	Kobuk River	40 feet (12 m)	4,720 feet (1,440 m)
42	Shenandoah		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)
43	Badlands		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)
44	American Samoa		Lata Mountain	Ta'u Island, Samoan Islands	3,170 feet (970 m) [31]	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	3,170 feet (970 m)
44	Redwood		Coyote Peak	Bald Hills	3,170 feet (970 m)	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	3,170 feet (970 m)
46	Theodore Roosevelt		Peck Hill	The Badlands	2,860 feet (870 m)	Little Missouri River	1,940 feet (590 m)	920 feet (280 m)
47	Channel Islands		El Montañon, Santa Cruz Island	Channel Islands	1,812 feet (552 m)[32]	Pacific Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	1,812 feet (552 m)
48	Acadia		Cadillac Mountain		1,530 feet (470 m)	Atlantic Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	1,530 feet (470 m)
49	Voyageurs		Tower near Mead Wood Road entrance		1,410 feet (430 m)	Rainy Lake	1,108 feet (338 m)	302 feet (92 m)
50	Hot Springs		Music Mountain	Ouachita Mountains	1,405 feet (428 m)	Bull Bayou	415 feet (126 m)	990 feet (300 m)
51	Isle Royale		Mount Desor	Superior Upland	1,394 feet (425 m)	Lake Superior	600 feet (180 m)	794 feet (242 m)
52	Virgin Islands		Bordeaux Mountain	Saint John Island, Virgin Islands	1,277 feet (389 m) [33]	Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea)	0 feet (0 m)	1,277 feet (389 m)
53	Cuyahoga		Black & Brush Roads	Glaciated Allegheny Plateau	1,164 feet (355 m)[34]	Cuyahoga River	590 feet (180 m)	574 feet (175 m)
54	Mammoth Cave		Mammoth Cave Ridge near Park Ridge Road	Pennyroyal Plateau	925 feet (282 m)	Green River	421 feet (128 m)	504 feet (154 m)
55	Congaree		Old Bluff Road near main entrance		140 feet (43 m)	Congaree River	80 feet (24 m)	60 feet (18 m)
56	Everglades		Calusa shell mound		20 feet (6.1 m)[35]	Atlantic Ocean	0 feet (0 m)	20 feet (6.1 m)
57	Dry Tortugas		Loggerhead Key	Florida Keys	10 feet (3.0 m)	Gulf of Mexico	0 feet (0 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)
58	Biscayne		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 Clingmans Dome.
• Skyline Drive map and profile – Skyline Drive runs the length of Shenandoah.
• PCT Elevation Profiles – 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 – An elevation profile of the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.

See also

• List of U.S. states and territories by elevation

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. "USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) – National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)". United States Geological Survey. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
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. 

    29
    Joshua topo – The aqueduct is most likely located on its own right-of-way, therefore, park land may not necessarily extend to the water's edge.
29. "Wind Cave Exploration". National Park Service. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
30. Kobuk Valley FAQ's; #3
31. https://www.nps.gov/npsa/planyourvisit/upload/manua.pdf U.S. National Park Service. National Park of American Samoa - Plan Your Visit. [Map of the Manu'a Islands]. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
32. Channel Islands – There is a higher peak on Santa Cruz, Devil's Peak, but it is on land owned by the Nature Conservancy and is not part of the national park.
33. https://www.nps.gov/viis/planyourvisit/maps.htm U.S. National Park Service. Virgin Islands National Park - Plan Your Visit; Maps. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
34. 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.
35. NPS search

External links

• National Park Service
• Peakbagger
• www.climb.mountains.com 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.