Only half of the states are home to a National Park. While every state has its share of National Monuments, National Historic Sites, National Battlefields and other sites managed by the National Park Service, these parks are the jewels in the crown. (They're also great places to work as well!)

02 of 26 Arizona National Parks TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Grand Canyon National Park: Focusing on the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, park illustrates one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world. Petrified Forest National Park: Features one of the world's largest concentrations of petrified wood, Indian ruins and petroglyphs, and portions of the colorful Painted Desert. Saguaro National Park:​ ​​Features the giant saguaro cactus, which may reach a height of 50 feet and is unique to the Sonoran Desert.

03 of 26 Arkansas National Parks Richard Rasmussen / Getty Images Hot Springs National Park:​ Features 47 thermal springs flowing from the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain.

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05 of 26 Colorado TripSavvy / Lauren Breedlove Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park:​ No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths visible here. Mesa Verde National Park:​ The first cultural park set aside by NPS features the best preserved and most notable pre-Columbian cliff dwellings and other works of early Americans. Rocky Mountain National Park:​ Designated a Biosphere Reserve, park straddles the Continental Divide and features 14,000-foot peaks.

06 of 26 Florida Robin Hill/Getty Images Biscayne National Park:​ ​Protects interrelated marine ecosystems including mangrove shoreline, bay community, subtropical keys, and the northernmost coral reef in the U.S. Dry Tortugas National Park:​ ​Park's cluster of seven islands includes Fort Jefferson, the largest all-masonry fortification in the Western Hemisphere, a bird refuge, and abundant marine life. Everglades National Park:​ ​The largest subtropical wilderness in the continental U.S. includes extensive fresh- and saltwater areas, Everglades prairies, and mangrove forests.

07 of 26 Hawaii Art Wolfe / Getty Images Haleakala National Park: Situated on the Island of Maui, this uniquely beautiful park preserves volcanic landscape, ecosystems of Kipahulu Valley, the scenic pools along Oheo Gulch, and many rare and endangered species. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: More than 4,000 feet high (and still growing) the volcano of Kilauea adjoins the much larger and older Mauna Loa, a massive volcano towering 13,679 feet above sea level.

08 of 26 Idaho Always Shooting/Flickr/ CC BY 2.0 Yellowstone National Park:​ Mixing geothermal activity with the natural world of the Wild West, America's first National Park exemplifies iconic Americana.

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09 of 26 Kentucky Nancy Nehring / Getty Images Mammoth Cave National Park:​ As the world's longest cave system, this park has much to offer its visitors. Tours are actually hikes inside the Earth showcasing eroding limestone located 200 to 300 feet below the surface.

10 of 26 Maine GerthMichael/Creative Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Acadia National Park: It may be one of the smaller national parks, but Acadia is by far one of the most scenic and picturesque parks in the U.S. Whether you come in the fall to enjoy the stunning foliage or visit in the summer to swim in the Atlantic Ocean, Maine is a beautiful area to tour. Roosevelt Campobello International Park: Park is a joint memorial by Canada and the United States and a symbol of the close relationship between the two countries. Here are the cottage and the grounds where President Franklin D. Roosevelt vacationed and where he was stricken by poliomyelitis at the age of 39.

11 of 26 Michigan Posnov/Getty Images Isle Royale National Park:​ Rising out of the vast Lake Superior is an island that is isolated like no other national park. Instead of visiting for a few hours like some parks, visitors typically stay for three to four days at Isle Royale.

12 of 26 Minnesota Per Breiehagen / Getty Images Voyageurs National Park: One-third of Voyageurs National Park is water, mostly in four main lakes which are all linked by waterways. Scattered throughout are forest areas which from the sky almost look like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

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13 of 26 Montana TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Glacier National Park:​ ​With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker's paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, transportation, and stories of Native Americans. Yellowstone National Park:​ ​Mixing geothermal activity with the natural world of the Wild West, America's first National Park exemplifies iconic Americana.

14 of 26 Nevada Peter French / Design Pics / Getty Images Death Valley National Park:​ ​This large desert, nearly surrounded by high mountains, contains the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Great Basin National Park:​ This 77,180-acre Nevada park draws only about 80,000 visitors a year, making it one of the least visited of the US national parks.

15 of 26 North Carolina Karen Murray / Getty Images Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Great Smoky Mountains is that it is the nation's busiest park with more than nine million visitors every year. It covers 800 square miles of mountainous land and preserves some of the world's most stunning deciduous forests.

16 of 26 North Dakota Alan Majchrowicz/Getty Images Theodore Roosevelt National Park:​ Situated in the North Dakota badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is home to a variety of plants and animals, including prairie dogs, bison, and elk.

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17 of 26 Ohio Kat Clay / Getty Images Cuyahoga Valley National Park:​ Unlike vast wilderness parks, this national park is full of quiet and isolated trails, tree-covered hills, and serene marshes thriving with beavers and herons.

18 of 26 Oregon TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Crater Lake National Park:​ It is hard for visitors to forget their first view of Crater Lake. With stunning cliffs towering over 2,000 feet above, the lake is tranquil, stunning, and a must-see for all who find beauty in the outdoors.

19 of 26 South Carolina Ken Lund/Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0 Congaree National Park: Established in 2003, this lush land in Central South Carolina is the largest contiguous tract of old-growth bottomland hardwoods in the United States.

20 of 26 South Dakota TripSavvy / Lauren Breedlove Badlands National Park: Created by the forces of water, carving amazing pinnacles and gullies, The Badlands and it's cliffs have been transformed for the past half million years. Wind Cave National Park: This park features one of the world's longest and most complex caves with an outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs.

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21 of 26 Tennessee Danita Delimont / Getty Images Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The nation's busiest park covers 800 square miles of mountainous land and preserves some of the world's most stunning deciduous forests.

22 of 26 Texas TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Big Bend National Park: From terrain covered in yuccas, bunchgrasses, and cactuses to the Rio Grande and its steep canyons, Big Bend National Park is spectacular and wild. Guadalupe Mountains National Park:​ Features portions of the world's most extensive and significant Permian limestone fossil reef; includes Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet.

23 of 26 Utah TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Arches National Park Arches contains some of the country's most amazing natural wonders, with mammoth rocks and arches formed from erosion. Bryce Canyon National Park: No other national park showcases what natural erosion can build than Bryce Canyon National Park. Canyonlands National Park: In this geological wonderland, rocks, spires, and mesas dominate the heart of the Colorado Plateau cut by canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers. Capitol Reef National Park: Capitol Reef National Park protects the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, as well as the unique historical and cultural history of the area. Zion National Park: Located in Utah's high plateau country, the Virgin River has carved a gorge so deep that sunlight rarely reaches the bottom!

24 of 26 Virginia Chris Murray / Getty Images Shenandoah National Park: This quiet and tranquil national park is only 75 miles outside of the nation's capital and equipped with massive mountains, majestic woods, and stunning vistas. This is a great spot to take in fall foliage.

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25 of 26 Washington TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris Mount Rainier National Park: This greatest single-peak glacial system in the United States radiates from the summit and slopes of Mount Rainier, an ancient volcano. Olympic National Park: Olympic National Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems—rugged glacier-capped mountains, stands of old-growth and temperate rain forest, and more than 60 miles of wild Pacific coastline.