The stated mission of the National Park Service act was to ‘conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpared for future generations.’
A century later the 409 sites, which include 59 national and historic parks, monuments, battlefields, and seashore, cover an area of over 84 million acres. In 2014 alone, over 293 million people visited the parks, from Yellowstone, the first national park to be established in 1872, to the most recent, California’s Pinnacles National Park, which was upgraded in 2013.
California has the most National Parks of all 27 US states where they’re found, just topping the more obvious state for wilderness, Alaska, which has eight and lays claim to the US’ largest national park, the 8 million acre Wrangell-St. Elias. For the record, the smallest national park is Hot Springs in Arkansas, which amounts to 6 thousand acres.
Celebrations of the centenery will take place all year, with 16 special days where park entrance fees will be waived, including National Park Week from 16-24 April, and the actual National Park Service Birthday, 25-28 August.
National Park highs, lows and extremes
Everglades, Florida: The US’s largest tropical wilderness, with mangrove swamps, panthers, crocodiles and manatees
Death Valley, California/Nevada: The hottest, lowest and driest location in the US, where temperature top 54 C.
Crater Lake, Oregon: The US’s deepest lake formed in the caldera of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago.
Denali, Alaska: Only one road runs in and out of this park centred around the US’s tallest mountain of the same name.
Gates of the Arctic, Alaska: The US’s most northern park, where there are no park facilities, only pristine wilderness.
Grand Canyon, Arizona: With almost 5 million annual visitors a year, this is the most popular park in the US.
Haleakala, Hawaii: This volcano on Maui is home to the greatest number of endangered species in any national park.
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky: With over 400 miles of passageways, this is the world’s longest cave system.
To learn more visit nps.gov
