In a wonderful piece put together by BBC Travel, “The US National Parks Turn 100” you get a look at the men an women who make these amazing parks operate year after year.
The US National Park Service was founded as an act of congress in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. Although some national parks were in existence as early as 1872, it wasn’t until 1916 that things really got started.
Yellow Stone National Park Elk
Yellowstone national park was the first in 1872. To date there are 59 parks including the most recent park, Pinnacles which was established in 2013.
National Park Service Employs Thousands
Today the National Park Service employs 20,000 permanent, temporary and seasonal workers. All of the employees are assisted by 246,000 volunteers, who donate 6.7 million hours to the parks each year. These people are a huge asset to the parks and its 307.2 million visitors.
If you haven’t taken the time to visit any of the parks yet, be sure to add it to your travel list. With 59 parks to choose from in many parts of the country, it’s not hard to find one that fits your taste. From Zion to the Everglades of Florida, there is something for everyone.
Here is a List Of the National Parks, Click on anyone for more information:
- Acadia National Park
- Arches National Park
- Badlands National Park
- Big Bend National Park
- Biscayne National Park
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Channel Islands National Park
- Congaree National Park
- Crater Lake National Park
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Denali National Park & Preserve
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Gates of the Arctic National Park
- Glacier Bay National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Great Basin National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Haleakala National Park
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Hot Springs National Park
- Isle Royale National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Katmai National Park and Preserve
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Kobuk Valley National Park
- Lake Clark National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- National Park of American Samoa
- North Cascades National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Saguaro National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Shenandoah National Park
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Virgin Islands National Park
- Voyageurs National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
- Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve
- Yellowstone National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Zion National Park
Take a look at this wonderful timeline which showcases the many parks and their staff. If you would like to know more about the National Parks please leave comments below.
