America's National Parks
An introduction to our country's natural and historical wonders
Three hundred and ninety-seven units currently managed by the National Park Service are scattered throughout the United States, with Delaware being the only state left out of the mix. Only 58 of the 397 park units are officially designated national parks. Other units are authorized as national monuments, national seashores, national historic sites, national lakeshores, national battlefields, national historical parks, etc. Regardless of classification, each unit offers something special that makes a visit worthwhile.
An Overview of America's National Parks
In general, national parks such as Yellowstone,
Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Sequoia, Great Smoky
Mountains, Everglades, and Olympic are large, diverse areas that
offer a variety of natural features and activities. Each of
these units is a destination park in which visitors can
easily spend a week or more. National Park Service areas designated as other
than national parks tend to be somewhat more limited in both size and scope.
Still, don't overlook these other areas because they each enjoy their own
special features and are often less crowded compared to the better known
parks. For example, Yellowstone, our first national park,
welcomed slightly less than 3.4 million visitors in 2011, while Devils Tower National Monument,
our first national monument and located in the same state of Wyoming, had only a
tenth as many visitors. We consider Fort Laramie National Historic Site in
southeast Wyoming one of our favorite stops when we travel to the West from our
home in South Georgia. Likewise, if you are driving west to Yellowstone National
Park, be certain to take time to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial,
Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Wind Cave National
Park that are located nearby in western South Dakota. Each of these units is
administered by the National Park Service and worthy of a visit. Big Bend
National Park in southern Texas is in an out-of-the-way
location, but the isolation is one the attributes that makes a
trip to this park worth the effort. This large, scenic national
park had approximately 360,000 visitors during 2011.
National Park units with the greatest
visitation
Themes of the National Park Units
Most individuals hear the words "national park"
and immediately visualize a natural wonder such as
Yellowstone's Old Faithful geyser, Glacier's
towering mountains, or the barren and sun-baked land
of Death Valley. The national park system is much
more than this.
Many areas managed by the National Park Service emphasize historical themes. For example, the homes of former U.S. presidents Hoover, Lincoln, Kennedy, Taft, Truman, Van Buren, Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and Carter are all managed by the National Park Service. Likewise, many battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War are preserved and managed by the National Park Service. In the Plains and western United States, the National Park Service welcomes visitors to a number of historic forts including Fort Davis, Fort Laramie, Fort Scott, Fort Larned, and Bent's Old Fort. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site in western North Dakota offers a living history program to help interpret this important fur trading post that operated from 1828 to 1867 on the upper Missouri River . Scotts Bluff National Monument (photo lower right) interprets an important landmark on the Oregon Trail. The National Park Service manages all of these units and many more. In general, the large, well-known natural areas are in the western United States, while the eastern United States serves as home for many of the smaller, historical units.
Other national park units are primarily for recreation. This is particularly true of large urban units such as California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area, the latter of which is spread over New York and New Jersey. Other units devoted primarily to recreation such as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Mead National Recreation Area are in the West.
Many areas managed by the National Park Service emphasize historical themes. For example, the homes of former U.S. presidents Hoover, Lincoln, Kennedy, Taft, Truman, Van Buren, Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and Carter are all managed by the National Park Service. Likewise, many battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War are preserved and managed by the National Park Service. In the Plains and western United States, the National Park Service welcomes visitors to a number of historic forts including Fort Davis, Fort Laramie, Fort Scott, Fort Larned, and Bent's Old Fort. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site in western North Dakota offers a living history program to help interpret this important fur trading post that operated from 1828 to 1867 on the upper Missouri River . Scotts Bluff National Monument (photo lower right) interprets an important landmark on the Oregon Trail. The National Park Service manages all of these units and many more. In general, the large, well-known natural areas are in the western United States, while the eastern United States serves as home for many of the smaller, historical units.
Other national park units are primarily for recreation. This is particularly true of large urban units such as California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area, the latter of which is spread over New York and New Jersey. Other units devoted primarily to recreation such as Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Mead National Recreation Area are in the West.
Entrance and Activity Fees
Many national park units charge an
entrance fee. Some parks charge by the
vehicle while others charge by the person.
If you expect to visit several park units
within a period of months consider buying an
America the Beautiful Pass that permits a
year of unlimited visits to all the parks
and other federal lands. The year begins on
the day the pass is purchased. Special
lifetime passes are available for seniors
(62 years and older), active military, and
the disabled. Inquire about these passes at
any park entrance station or visitor center.
The America the Beautiful Pass is available
to anyone and can be purchased by mail but a
lifetime pass for seniors or the disabled
must be acquired in person.
Additional information about national park
fees
Lodging and Camping
Some units managed by the
National Park Service offer lodging
facilities, campgrounds, or both.
Yellowstone National Park, a large
and heavily visited national park
has nine lodges and numerous
campgrounds. Likewise, Yosemite
National Park offers seven lodging
facilities and many campgrounds.
Devils Tower National Monument
provides no overnight lodging
accommodations but has one of our
favorite campgrounds. Other areas
managed by the National Park Service
offer neither camping or lodging.
Andersonville National Historic
Site, the site of a famous Civil War
prison and P.O.W. museum, is a
wonderful yet somber place to visit
if you are driving through Georgia.
Neither lodging or camping is
available at the site, although both
can be found a short distance
outside the park. Likewise, Jimmy
Carter National Historic Site in
nearby Plains, Georgia, does not
offer lodging or camping. In
general, units designated national
parks nearly always have campgrounds
and often offer lodging.
Additional
information about national park
campgrounds
Additional information about national park lodges
Additional information about national park lodges
What to Do When You Arrive
at a Park
A park
brochure or newspaper is
generally available at
entrance stations where
fees are collected.
Entrance station rangers
will also be able to
provide information
about scheduled
activities and
campground availability.
If the park does not
collect an entrance fee
or have an entrance
station, the first order
of business should be to
locate the visitor
center where information
on guided walks, trails,
museums, and activities
is available. In fact,
this should be your
first stop even if you
have picked up a
brochure at the entrance
station. Most visitor
centers offer exhibits
and audio-visual
presentations that
provide an overview of
the park's history. This
is nearly always a good
way to gain an overview
of what to see and do
during your visit.
Check the park schedule
or talk to a ranger and
determine if any
presentations or guided
walks are available.
These are nearly always
worthwhile so take
advantage of them.
Some of Our
Favorites
Everyone who has
spent years
traveling to and
through the
national parks
can generally
list some
favorites. Keep
in mind that
experienced
travelers will
often disagree
about the parks
that appear on
such a list.
Even the two of
us don't always
agree. One of us
chooses Glacier
as the favorite
while the other
chooses
Yellowstone. We
have a good
friend who
believes
Yellowstone is
way overrated in
the list of best
parks. We have
found central
and southern
Utah and
northern Arizona
to be a
particularly
attractive
region to visit
because so many
beautiful
national park
units are in
close proximity.
Arches National
Park,
Canyonlands
National Park,
Capitol Reef
National Park,
Zion National
Park, Bryce
Canyon National
Park, Glen
Canyon National
Recreation Area,
Natural Bridges
National
Monument, and,
of course, Grand
Canyon National
Park include
some of the most
spectacular
landscapes found
anywhere in the
United States.
Nearby are
Colorado
National
Monument just
outside Grand
Junction,
Colorado, and
the North Rim of
the Grand Canyon
in northern
Arizona. Even if
you have visited
the South Rim of
the Grand
Canyon, take
time to enjoy
the entirely
different
experience of a
stay at the
North Rim. Fall
and spring are
probably the
best seasons to
visit southern
Utah that often
experiences
relatively high
summer
temperatures.
About the
Two of Us
We
have
spent
most of
thirty-five
summers
traveling
to and
through
America's
national
parks.
Six of
these
summers
were
devoted
to
visiting
and
staying
in
national
park
lodges.
We have
visited
nearly
all of
the
units
managed
by the
National
Park
Service,
most of
them
many
times.
We have
driven
up and
down the
West
Coast,
up and
down the
East
Coast,
and back
and
forth
across
the
United
States,
both
across
U.S. 2
in the
north
and U.S.
90 in
the
south.
We have
hiked
the
Freedom
Trail in
Boston
National
Historical
Park,
walked
the
beautiful
beach at
Cumberland
Island
National
Seashore,
sweltered
in the
Needles
area of
Canyonlands
National
Park,
and
celebrated
a Fourth
of July
at Death
Valley
National
Park in
125-degree
heat.
We hope
that our
experiences
and the
resulting
advice
will
benefit
your own
travels.