Geologic Provinces of the United States: National Parks listed by tectonic setting

Divergent plate boundaries

CONTINENTAL RIFTS

Basin and Range Province (Active)

• Death Valley National Monument, CA - USGS Geology in the Parks site
• Devils Postpile National Monument, CA - USGS Geology in the Parks site
• Great Basin National Park, NV
• Joshua Tree National Park, CA - USGS Geology in the Parks site
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area, CA - USGS Geology in the Parks site
• Lava Beds National Monument, CA
• Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ
• Saguaro National Monument, AZ
• Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ - USGS Geology in the Parks site
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument, UT

Rio Grande Rift (Active)

• Bandelier National Monument, NM
• Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM
• White Sands National Monument, NM

Keweenawan Rift (Ancient)

• Apostle Island NLS, WI
• Grand Portage National Monument, MN
• Isle Royale National Park, MI
• Pictured Rocks NLS, MI
• Saint Croix NSR, MN/WI

PASSIVE CONTINENTAL MARGINS

Atlantic Coast

• Acadia National Park, ME
• Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
• Biscayne National Park, FL
• Canaveral National Seashore, FL
• Cape Cod National Seashore, MA
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC
• Cape Lookout National Seashore, NC
• Cumberland Island National Seashore, GA
• Fire Island National Seashore, NY
• Gateway National Recreation Area, NJ

Gulf of Mexico Coast

• Big Thicket N Pres, TX
• Everglades National Park, FL
• Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL/MS
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, & Pres, LA
• Padre Island National Seashore, TX

MID-OCEAN RIDGES

(None)

Convergent plate boundaries

OCEAN—OCEAN SUBDUCTION ZONES

Aleutian Islands/Alaska Pen.

• Aniakchak NM & Pres, AK

Western Pacific

• NP of American Samoa, Am Sam

OCEAN-CONTINENT SUBDUCTION ZONES

Coast Ranges (Accretionary Wedge)

• Olympic National Park, WA
• Oregon Caves National Monument, OR
• Redwood National Park, CA

Alaska (Active Volcanic Arc)

• Katmai NP & Pres, AK
• Kenai Fjords National Park, AK
• Lake Clark NP & Pres, AK

Cascade Mountains (Active Volcanic Arc)

• Crater Lake National Park, OR
• Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
• Mount Rainier National Park, WA

Sierra NV Mountains (Ancient Volcanic Arc)

• Kings Canyon National Park, CA
• Sequoia National Park, CA
• Yosemite National Park, CA

Laramide Uplifts (Low-Angle Subduction)

• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, MT
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
• Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, CO
• Glacier National Park, MT
• Grand Teton National Park, WY
• Great Sand Dunes National Monument, CO
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX
• Jewel Cave National Monument, SD
• Mount Rushmore National Monument, SD
• Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
• Wind Cave National Park, SD

COLLISIONAL MOUNTAIN RANGES

Appalachian Mountains

• Appalachian NST, GA to ME
• Big South Fork NR & RA, KY/TN
• Blue Ridge Parkway, VA/NC
• Bluestone NSR & RA, KY
• Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, GA
• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PA
• Gauley River National Recreation Area, West VA
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC/TN
• New River Gorge NR, West VA
• Obed WSR, TN
• Russell Cave National Monument, AL
• Shenandoah National Park, VA

Ouachita Mountains

• Chickasaw National Recreation Area, OK
• Hot Springs National Park, AR

Marathon Mountains

• Big Bend National Park, TX
• Rio Grande WSR, TX

Brooks Range

• Cape Krusenstern NP & Pres, AK
• Gates of the Arctic NP&Pres, AK
• Noatak NP & Pres, AK

ACCRETED TERRANES

North American Cordillera

• Denali National Park, AK
• North Cascades National Park, WA
• Ross Lake National Recreation Area, WA
• Wrangell-St. Elias NP & Pres, AK
• Yukon-Charley Rivers N Pres, AK

Transform plate boundaries

San Andreas Fault

• Cabrillo National Monument, CA
• Channel Islands National Park, CA
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area, CA
• Muir Woods National Monument, CA
• Pinnacles National Monument, CA
• Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, CA

Southeast Alaska

• Glacier Bay NP & Pres, AK
• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

Caribbean

• Buck Island Reef National Monument, U. S. VI
• Virgin Islands National Park, U. S. VI

Hotspots

OVER OCEANIC CRUST

Hawaii - Emperor

• Haleakala National Park, HI
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI

OVER CONTINENTAL CRUST

Yellowstone-Snake River Plain-Columbia Plateau

• Yellowstone National Park, WY/ID/MT
• Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

Areas not easily associated with plate boundaries or hotspots

Colorado Plateau

• Arches National Park, UT
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, CO
• Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
• Capital Reef National Park, UT
• Cedar Breaks National Monument, UT
• Curecanti National Recreation Area, CO
• Dinosaur National Monument, UT/CO
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT
• Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
• Mesa Verde National Park, CO
• Natural Bridges National Monument, UT
• Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
• Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, AZ
• Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ
• Wupatki National Monument, AZ
• Zion National Park, UT

Stable Craton

• Agate Fossil Bed National Monument, NB
• Badlands National Park, SD
• Buffalo NR, AR
• Effigy Mounds National Monument, IA
• Indiana Dunes NLS, IN
• Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, TX
• Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
• Missouri Nat Rec River, SD/NB
• Mound City Group National Monument, OH, MS, NR & RA, MN
• Natchez-Trace Pky & NST, MS/AL/TN
• Ozark NSR, MO
• Pipestone National Monument, MN
• Poverty Point National Monument, LA
• Scotts Bluff National Monument, NB
• Sleeping Bears Dunes National Seashore, MI
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
• Voyageurs National Park, MN

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