What Are National Parks?
America's best idea — 63 protected places where nature is preserved for everyone, forever.
Protected Places for Everyone
National parks are areas of outstanding natural beauty, unique geology, or ecological importance that the U.S. government has set aside and protected by law. Unlike private land, national parks belong to every American — and every visitor from around the world. You can hike their trails, camp under their skies, and explore their wonders, but the land itself is preserved so future generations can experience it too.
How They Started
In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law creating Yellowstone as the world's first national park. The idea was revolutionary: instead of selling beautiful land to private owners, the government would protect it for public enjoyment. The National Park Service (NPS) was created in 1916 to manage these parks. Today there are 63 national parks across 30 states and territories, covering over 85 million acres — an area larger than the entire country of Italy.
Famous Parks
Grand Canyon (Arizona) features a mile-deep gorge carved by the Colorado River over 5–6 million years, with rock layers exposing nearly 2 billion years of Earth's geological history. Yellowstone (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho) sits on a supervolcano and contains more geysers than anywhere else on Earth, including Old Faithful. Yosemite (California) is famous for towering granite cliffs, giant sequoia trees, and spectacular waterfalls. Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina) is the most visited park, attracting over 12 million visitors per year.
Why Parks Matter
National parks protect biodiversity — they serve as habitats for thousands of plant and animal species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Grizzly bears, wolves, bison, California condors, and Florida manatees all depend on protected parkland. Parks also preserve important cultural and historical sites, from ancient cliff dwellings to Civil War battlefields.
Conservation Challenges
National parks face real threats: climate change is melting glaciers in Glacier National Park and increasing wildfire risk across the West. Overcrowding strains popular parks — some now require reservations during peak season. Air and water pollution from surrounding areas doesn't stop at park boundaries. Supporting national parks means advocating for clean air, responsible visitation, and adequate funding for the rangers and scientists who protect these irreplaceable places.
Death Valley National Park holds the record for the highest air temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth: 56.7°C (134°F), measured on July 10, 1913. Despite its extreme heat, Death Valley is also home to a mysterious phenomenon called "sailing stones" — rocks that appear to move across the dry lake bed on their own, leaving long trails behind them. Scientists eventually discovered the cause: thin sheets of ice form under the rocks on cold nights, and when the ice breaks up in morning sun, gentle winds push the ice-cradled rocks across the slippery mud surface.
Last reviewed: April 2026