Rocky Mountain National Park (21st Century) by Mackenzie ReedNational Park Service
From mountains that tower above the clouds, reaching 20,000ft...
Hyperion, the tallest tree on Earth (2009) by Michael NicholsOriginal Source: Michael Nichols
...to Hyperion, the world's tallest known tree (whose exact location is a closely-protected secret)...
Rediscovering HMS Tyger - Dry Tortugas National Park by NPS / Brett SeymourNational Park Service
...to underwater shipwrecks submerged beneath the waves...
Sunset, East of Mather Point, Grand Canyon National Park (2026) by National Park Service and Michael QuinnGrand Canyon National Park, National Park Service
...the United States of America's national parks are home to wonders that stretch high above the Earth and down beneath its surface.
One Man's Dream—The Beginning Model of Sculptor and Designer by Gutzon BorglumNational Park Service, Museum Management Program
The National Park Service looks after more than 400 sites of unique beauty and historical importance across the United States. So how did the national parks come to be?
Indian Family Alarmed at the Approach of a Prairie Fire (1846-1848) by George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA 1796-died Jersey City, NJ 1872Original Source: See this work of art on the Smithsonian American Art Museum website
In 1832, the artist George Catlin crossed the northern Great Plains, painting the people and places he came across along the way. On his journey he was struck by the destruction of Native American civilization, wildlife, and wilderness that had occurred as settlements moved westward.
Buffalo Bull, Grazing on the Prairie (1832-1833) by George Catlin, born Wilkes-Barre, PA 1796-died Jersey City, NJ 1872Original Source: See this work of art on the Smithsonian American Art Museum website
He dreamed there might be “by some great protecting policy of government... a magnificent park... a nation's park, containing man and beast, in all the wildness and freshness of their nature's beauty!” Four decades later, his dream would become a reality.
Electric Peak Sunset, Yellowstone National Park by NPS / Jacob W. FrankNational Park Service
Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872. It is also widely understood to be the first national park in the world.
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Yellowstone covers over 3,400 square miles of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It's home to the largest concentration of hydrothermal features on Earth. Here you can find over 500 geysers (though it might take more than one visit to see them all!) as well as the Grand Prismatic Spring.
Woodrow Wilson (1912) by Harris & Ewing StudioSmithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
On August 25, 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act. This historic moment marked the creation of The National Park Service (NPS), a dedicated agency for managing and protecting parks, monuments, and historical sites for future generations.
Four Elk in a field, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA (2005-10-03) by Medioimages/PhotodiscGetty Images
The NPS helps hundreds of millions of visitors experience the parks and monuments every year. It's also a world-leader in environmental conservation and historical education, carrying out vital research to protect the country's biodiversity.
MAESTRAPEACE, Lapidge Street façade, mural on The San Francisco Women's Building, 18th and Valencia Streets, Juana Alicia, Edythe Boone, Miranda Bergman, Susan Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton and Irene Perez, © 1994, 2000, 2010 (1994-2000) by Juana Alicia, Edythe Boone, Miranda Bergman, Susan Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton, and Irene PerezOriginal Source: Maestrapeace Artworks
Today there are 63 official national parks and over 400 national park sites, sprawling over 85-million acres. More than just scenic tourist attractions, these protected sites are now critical hubs for nature and research.
The Liberty BellIndependence National Historical Park, National Park Service
While the iconic landscapes remain the focus, the NPS has expanded its mission to include diverse historical and cultural sites, to tell a wider story of the American experience.
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