The National Park System
There are almost 400 national parks in the USA covering more than 84 million acres in 49 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.. Everything from Presidential homes to unique natural wonders can be found in the National Park system. The National Park system was the first ever created in the world and is a benchmark for other nations to follow.
On March 1, 1872 an area in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming called Yellowstone, became the first National Park “as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people” and placed it “under exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior.” This act paved the way for more than 100 nations to create almost 1,200 national parks and preserves around the world.
President Woodrow Wilson signed an act on August 25, 1916, creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established. The Act stated:
“the Service thus established shall promote and
regulate the use of the Federal areas known as
national parks, monuments and reservations . . .
by such means and measures as conform to the
fundamental purpose of the said parks,
monuments and reservations, which purpose is
to conserve the scenery and the natural and
historic objects and the wild life therein and to
provide for the enjoyment of the same in such
manner and by such means as will leave them
unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
In 1933 with an Executive Order 56 national monuments and military sites were transferred from the Forest Service and the War Department to the National Park Service, giving the National Park System a rich tapestry of natural wonders to historical sites built by man.
These are the Top 10 National Parks found in the USA:
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Smoky Mountains National Park
Acadia National Park
Glacier National Park
Zion National Park
Olympic National Park
So come and explore one of these amazing parks preserved for all generation, with one of our Tours to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With Tours in the USA, you will travel with an experienced Naturalist Tour Director who will give you a once in a lifetime experience!