Everything you need to know about U.S. National Parks
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Visitors flock annually to the many beautiful national parks spread out across our nation to enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. You can relax by a crystal blue lake, surrounded by towering mountain peaks, and enjoy the peace and quiet, as well as that novel you’ve been meaning to read. Or, for the more adventuresome soul, gear up for some white-water rafting or take a hike and discover up close and personal all that nature has to offer.
- (Source:huffingtonpost.com/audrey-peterman/park-service=celebrates-b_b_8524128.html)
If you’re planning a trip to a National Park, a great resource to help plan is the U.S. National Park system’s website. Here you will find all the info you need about amenities, activities, and regulations for any park from California to Massachusetts and anywhere in between.
2015’s top five most visited National Parks, according to National Geographic.com, were:
1.) Great Smoky Mountains (NC)
2.) Grand Canyon (AZ)
3.) Rocky Mountain (CO)
4.) Yosemite (CA)
5.) Yellowstone (WY)
Facts about the U.S. National Park system
How old is the national park system?
Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as the nation’s first national park. The National Park Service was created by an Act signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916.
How many people visit the national parks?
A total of 307.2 million people visited national parks in 2015.
What is the largest/smallest national park site?
– Largest: 13.2 million acres: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
– Smallest: 0.02 acres: Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, PA