Whether you refer to the inhabitants of pre-European America as indigenous people, American Indians, or Native Americans, you can learn much more about their diverse cultures at numerous National Park Service (NPS) sites.  Many of these amazing places are located in the southwestern U.S., but we made sure our top 10 list spanned the entire nation.  Click here to check out all of our Top 10 Lists.

10. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (Ohio)

Earth mounds and artwork from 2,200 years ago

9. Pipestone National Monument (Minnesota)

Red quartzite rock is still mined here by American Indian artisans

8. Poverty Point National Monument (Louisiana)

Enormous earth mounds built by hand starting 3,700 years ago

7. Hovenweep National Monument (Utah -Colorado)

Fascinating assemblage of architecture on the Utah-Colorado border

6. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (Georgia)

A massive earthen mound and reconstructed earthlodge in Macon, Georgia

5. Sitka National Historical Park (Alaska)

Tlingit and Russian history are both preserved in Alaska’s prettiest city

4. Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Hawai’i)

Indigenous Hawaiian culture is celebrated at this reconstructed village

3. Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico)

All roads led to this ceremonial center a thousand years ago

2. Bandelier National Monument (New Mexico)

Climb ladders into rooms carved by hand into soft volcanic tufa rock

…and finally our #1 Native American NPS site:

1. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

Numerous cliff dwellings blend seamlessly with their environment

Honorable Mentions

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument (Texas)

Human history dates back 13,000 years at this surface mine

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (North Dakota)

Walk inside the spacious earthlodge reconstruction near the Missouri River

Aztec Ruins National Monument (New Mexico)

Enter a reconstructed great kiva and walk through beautiful ruins

Big Hole National Battlefield (Montana)

A pretty spot where the Nez Perce and U.S. Army fought on the morning of August 9, 1877