Celebrating America's Natural Beauty

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

When my husband and I go on vacation, we almost always try to incorporate a National Park into the trip, if possible. Between the two of us, we've been to Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mammoth Cave, Shenandoah and many more. The National Park Service (NPS) is the agency legislated to administer and maintain these parks and many other parks, monuments and historic sites. This past weekend the NPS celebrated it's 96th birthday.

The National Park Service Act was signed into law on August 25, 1916. While there already were National Parks in the United States before the law, there was no one agency responsible for them all. The NPS had a difficult beginning, but with the vision and determination of two men, Stephen Tyng Mather and Horace Marden Albright, it has become one of the most popular government agencies in this country.

There are almost 400 National Parks and Historic Sites in every state and several territories. Initially many of the parks were only in the western states. This was mostly due to the land being easily available and not inhabited. By the mid 20th century many National Parks were established in the east after many prominent families donated land to the NPS. The donation of land by the Rockefeller family led to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail.

Another aspect of the National Park Service is the National Historic sites which include places like Gettysburg National Military Park, Ford's Theatre National Historic Site and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. These parks were established to preserve the places that are important to the country's history.

Yosemite Valley

My favorite park is Yosemite National Park in California (followed closely by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore). While on a trip to San Francisco several years ago, my husband and I realized how close we were to the park so we decided to rent a car and drive there for the day. Of course, if the drive would have been on a straight road we would have made it there in about an hour. But since it is mostly windy roads, it took us a bit longer than we had planned. But, it was worth it. The Yosemite Valley is one of the most beautiful places I have every seen.

So take my advice, if you have the chance please visit a National Park or Historic Site. You won't regret it!

NPS Info:

Official National Park Service Site - learn all about the many different parks and historic sites you can visit.

NPS Facebook page - keep up with current events going on at the parks

National Park Foundation - the only national charitable nonprofit whose sole mission is to directly support the National Park Service.



NPS @ your Library:

Books about the history of the National Park Service

Documentaries about National Parks

National Park mysteries: Nevada Barr, a former National Park Ranger, has written a series of mysteries that take place in several different National Parks. The crimes are investigated by Anna Pigeon, herself a National Park Ranger. Read all 17!

Books by Ansel Adams: The photographs by Adams is what lead to my desire to go to Yosemite. Check out some of these books of photographs or read his autobiography to learn more about our national treasures and the man who made them famous.

-- Post by Tracy