Let's Chat About...National Parks
Randy and I enjoy traveling and we especially like visiting National Parks. We purchased a small motor home last year and look forward to using it while we explore what these grand parks have to offer. We were fortunate this past Christmas to receive an "Annual National Park Pass" from our son and a beautiful "National Parks Book" from our daughter!
Many National Parks were put in place to preserve the land and historic sites once occupied by American Indian Tribes and the first settlers that homesteaded the land. Other Parks were developed to protect nature and wildlife.
The "Father of National Parks" is John Muir, born in Scotland in 1838. He immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 11 years. Throughout his 20's, he spent much of his time exploring the North American Wilderness. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Yosemite Park to the state of California. This was the first-time land had been set aside by the government for protection and public use. Muir spent the rest of his life campaigning to protect it and was a passionate advocate for America's National Parks.
The National Parks Service (NPS) was created in the early 20th century to protect our beautiful lands. In 1872 Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant established the world's first National
Park - Yellowstone! We as citizens also have a role to play in preserving the parks by being respectful and following park guidelines. There are currently 62 National Parks in the United States and I have them listed in order of establishment below:
Yellowstone (1872) - Wyoming
Yosemite (1890) - California
Sequoia (1890) - California
Mount Rainier (1899) - Washington
Crater Lake (1902) - Oregon
Wind Cave (1903) - South Dakota
Mesa Verde (1906) - Colorado
Glacier (1910) - Montana
Rocky Mountain (1915) - Colorado
Lassen Volcanic (1916) - California
Hawai'i Volcanoes (1916) - Hawaii
Denali (1917) - Alaska
Grand Canyon (1919) - Arizona
Zion (1919) - Utah
Acadia (1919) - Maine
Hot Springs (1921) - Arkansas
Bryce Canyon (1928) - Utah
Grand Teton (1929) - Wyoming
Carlsbad Caverns (1930) - New Mexico
Great Smoky Mountains (1934) - Tennessee / North Carolina
Shenandoah (1935) - Virginia
Olympic (1938) - Washington
Kings Canyon (1940) - California
Isle Royale (1940) - Lake Superior
Mammoth Cave (1941) - Kentucky
Big Bend (1944) - Texas
Everglades (1947) - Florida
Virgin Islands (1956) - The Caribbean
Haleakala (1961) - Hawaii
Petrified Forest (1962) - Arizona
Canyonlands (1964) - Utah
North Cascades (1968) - Washington
Redwood (1968) - California
Capitol Reef (1971) - Utah
Arches (1971) - Utah
Guadalupe Mountains (1972) - Texas
Voyageurs (1975) - Minnesota
Theodore Roosevelt (1978) - North Dakota
Badlands (1978) - South Dakota
Channel Islands (1980) - California
Biscayne (1980) - Florida
Katmai (1980) - Alaska
Glacier Bay (1980) - Alaska
Gates of the Arctic (1980) - Alaska
Kenai Fjords (1980) - Alaska
Kobuk Valley (1980) - Alaska
Lake Clark (1980) - Alaska
Wrangell - St. Elias (1980) - Alaska
Great Basin (1986) - Nevada
National Park of American Samoa (1988) - Pacific Ocean
Dry Tortugas (1992) - Florida
Death Valley (1994) - California
Saguaro (1994) - Arizona
Joshua Tree (1994) - California
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (1999) - Colorado
Cuyahoga Valley (2000) - Ohio
Congaree (2003) - South Carolina
Grand Sand Dunes (2004) - Colorado
Pinnacles (2013) - California
Gateway Arch (2018) - Missouri / Illinois
Indiana Dunes (2019) - Indiana
White Sands (2019) - New Mexico
Randy and I have only begun to scratch the surface of visiting these parks. We have been to Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Teton, Theodore Roosevelt, Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon, Saguaro, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches. Next on our bucket list include the parks on the west coast such as Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite and the Redwoods.
Some of the benefits to being an annual National Park Pass holder include:
Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
Covers entrance fee for driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle up to 4 adults (children 15 years and under are free).
Honored at all National Parks and Monuments as well as most sites managed by the Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Covers Park admission only. Does not include extras such as parking, camping, boat launches, shuttles or guided tours.
So, if you have a spirit for adventure and enjoy exploring our National Parks as we do, please share your experiences in the comments below!
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