U.S. National Parks Quiz
Instructions: Test your recall of America's beloved national parks, from Yellowstone's geysers to the Grand Canyon's rims.
- 1.
Old Faithful, the famous geyser that erupts roughly every 60 to 110 minutes, is located in which national park?
AYellowstone National ParkBGrand Teton National ParkCCrater Lake National ParkDRocky Mountain National Park - 2.
Half Dome, the iconic granite peak that rises about 4,737 feet above the valley floor, is the signature landmark of which park?
ASequoia National ParkBKings Canyon National ParkCYosemite National ParkDJoshua Tree National Park - 3.
The Everglades, the only subtropical wilderness in North America, is located in which U.S. state?
ALouisianaBGeorgiaCAlabamaDFlorida - 4.
The Grand Canyon was carved over millions of years by which major river?
AThe Missouri RiverBThe Colorado RiverCThe Rio GrandeDThe Green River - 5.
Acadia National Park, famous for its rocky coastline and Cadillac Mountain, is located in which New England state?
ANew HampshireBVermontCConnecticutDMaine - 6.
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is known for its thousands of red, orange, and white spire-shaped rock formations. What are these spires called?
AMesasBHoodoosCButtesDPinnacles - 7.
Which national park is home to the tallest tree in the world, a coastal redwood named Hyperion?
ASequoia National ParkBOlympic National ParkCRedwood National and State ParksDMuir Woods National Monument - 8.
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky holds the record for the world's longest known cave system. Roughly how many miles of surveyed passages does it contain?
AAbout 100 milesBAbout 200 milesCAbout 400 milesDAbout 700 miles - 9.
Denali National Park is home to the highest mountain peak in North America. What is the height of Denali's summit?
AApproximately 14,505 feetBApproximately 17,400 feetCApproximately 20,310 feetDApproximately 23,000 feet - 10.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between two states. Which two states share this beloved park?
AVirginia and West VirginiaBTennessee and North CarolinaCGeorgia and South CarolinaDKentucky and Tennessee - 11.
Crater Lake in Oregon, the deepest lake in the United States, formed when which type of geological event occurred thousands of years ago?
AA massive earthquake caused the ground to sinkBA glacier carved out the basin over ice agesCA meteor impact created the craterDA volcanic eruption caused the top of Mount Mazama to collapse - 12.
Which national park contains the famous geologic feature known as 'The Narrows,' a stunning slot canyon carved by the Virgin River?
ACanyonlands National ParkBCapitol Reef National ParkCZion National ParkDArches National Park - 13.
Which national park protects the largest collection of natural sandstone arches in the world, including the famous Delicate Arch?
AArches National ParkBCanyonlands National ParkCBryce Canyon National ParkDMesa Verde National Park - 14.
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado preserves the cliff dwellings of which ancient Native American people?
AThe NavajoBThe CherokeeCThe Ancestral PuebloansDThe Comanche - 15.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is famous for its scenic drive along a mountain ridge. What is the name of that celebrated road?
AThe Blue Ridge ParkwayBSkyline DriveCThe Appalachian HighwayDThe Ridge Route
Answer Key
Old Faithful is the crown jewel of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, which became the world's first national park in 1872. It earned its name because early visitors marveled at how reliably it erupted.
Half Dome towers over Yosemite Valley in California and has been a symbol of Yosemite National Park since the park was established in 1890. Its sheer northwest face is one of the most recognizable rock formations in the world.
Everglades National Park occupies the southern tip of Florida and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It is home to rare and endangered species including the Florida panther and American crocodile.
The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over roughly 5 to 6 million years, exposing rock layers that tell nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history. The canyon stretches about 277 miles long and reaches a mile deep.
Acadia National Park sits on Mount Desert Island along the coast of Maine and was the first national park established east of the Mississippi River. From October through early March, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the continental U.S. to see the sunrise.
The tall, thin spires of rock at Bryce Canyon are called hoodoos, formed by the weathering of Claron limestone over millions of years. Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration of hoodoos anywhere on Earth.
Hyperion, discovered in 2006, stands about 380 feet tall and lives within Redwood National and State Parks in northern California. Its exact location is kept secret to protect it from excessive foot traffic.
Mammoth Cave has more than 400 miles of surveyed passageways, making it the longest known cave system in the world by a wide margin. Archaeologists have found evidence that Native Americans explored the cave over 4,000 years ago.
Denali stands 20,310 feet above sea level, making it the tallest mountain in North America. Located in Alaska, it is sometimes called the continent's 'High One,' which is the meaning of its Athabascan name.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park sits on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the most visited national park in the United States, welcoming over 12 million visitors in recent years. The park gets its name from the natural fog that often blankets the mountains.
About 7,700 years ago, the volcano known as Mount Mazama erupted so violently that its summit collapsed inward, forming a caldera that eventually filled with rainwater and snowmelt to become Crater Lake. The lake reaches a depth of about 1,943 feet.
The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah, is one of the most iconic hikes in the American Southwest, where hikers wade through the Virgin River between towering sandstone walls that can be as narrow as 20 feet wide. The walls rise up to 1,000 feet overhead.
Arches National Park in Utah contains over 2,000 natural stone arches, including the 52-foot-tall Delicate Arch, which appears on Utah's license plate. The arches were formed by water seeping into rock cracks and slowly dissolving the sandstone.
Mesa Verde preserves over 5,000 archaeological sites built by the Ancestral Puebloans, sometimes called the Anasazi, who inhabited the region from about 600 to 1300 A.D. Their most spectacular structure, Cliff Palace, contains about 150 rooms and 23 kivas.
Skyline Drive runs the entire 105-mile length of Shenandoah National Park along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering 75 overlooks with sweeping views of the Shenandoah Valley. It was built during the Great Depression in the 1930s.