Some park stampers skip these—since they don’t count as ‘official park unit visits’—, but I’m now a fan, having visited all of these in the 48 contiguous states. Many affiliated sites help tell more of our country’s history, NHAs include uniquely American experiences, and cross country drives follow many scenic and historic trails. Many are near or overlap with official sites, and they’re worth exploring.

Affiliated sites are neither owned nor run by the NPS, but they are run by trusted partners with limited NPS technical, administrative or financial support, often operating seamlessly as part of larger NPS sites. If a historic building is still active as a place of worship, for example, then the government can’t own or operate it. And there are other situations where expert, independent, local and long-term management makes the most sense and also gives some sites unique advantages compared to official parks.

Large and small National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are “nationally important landscapes” with “historic, cultural and natural resources”. Typically, they are tourist-oriented and receive a portion of their funding from the NPS, while they are managed locally without NPS ownership. In my experience, each has their own distinct story to tell, regional style or unique beauty. They should be part of your itinerary in any region.

Six National Scenic Trails are NPS park units, and the Forest Service manages six more National Geologic & Scenic Trails. The park service also protects various National Historic Trails, which link multiple sites and are not counted as individual units.

Trails run through the fabric of our country, in every state, connecting us to our heritage, so even if they technically don’t count as official visits, don’t miss them!

Click below to explore by region.

Affiliates	Heritage Areas	Trails
Mid-Atlantic ✓	Mid-Atlantic ✓	Mid-Atlantic ✓
Midwest ✓	Midwest ✓	Midwest ✓
National Capital ✓	None	National Capital ✓
North Atlantic ✓	North Atlantic ✓	North Atlantic ✓
Pacific Northwest
Rocky Mountain ✓	Rocky Mountain ✓	Rocky Mountain ✓
Southeast ✓		Southeast ✓
Southwest ✓	Southwest ✓	Southwest ✓
Western	Western ✓