U.S. National Parks

What does it take to make a national park in the United States? It takes an act of Congress. However, it also takes thousands of years of nature flexing its creative muscles to form sky-piercing mountains, glittering caves, wandering waterways and fragile ecosystems in which only certain animals can survive. On March 1, 1872, Congress and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant became the first to officially recognize that some areas of the country are simply too precious to develop. It was this day that Yellowstone National Park was established, making it the first, and therefore the oldest, national park in the world. By becoming federal property, this land officially became the property of the people of the United States as a place to visit, enjoy and cherish. Soon after, other countries around the world began to establish their own parks and protected wildlife areas.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.
Norbert Rosing/National Geographic/Getty Images
A view of Sapphire Pool at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.


Today, the U.S. National Parks Service is operated by the Department of the Interior. The entire system of national parks includes 385 areas and covers more than 84 million acres.

Some of the best-known parks in the U.S. are Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Denali and Yosemite. Together, these parks cover 8,939,372 acres of land across six states. They include the country's deepest gorge, the highest peak, the most active geysers and some of the most beautiful waterfalls. But these parks are just the tip of the iceberg.

What does a Park Ranger do?
Park Rangers help control the parks, enforce the rules and preserve the history of thousands of sites. Park Rangers have a variety of duties, ranging from giving museum tours and leading educational programs, to leading rescue operations and fighting fires.

How can you become a Park Ranger? Each country has different needs for different national park jobs. Check your federal government's national parks Web site to find out their requirements. For example, the U.S. National Parks Service is run by the Department of the Interior, which is where you would apply if you live in the United States.


The U.S. approaches park creation from many different standpoints. Each and every park in the country was chosen and set aside for some unique quality that makes it indispensible and interesting. The U.S. National Parks System celebrates and preserves the birthplaces of great presidents, monuments to national victories and the workplaces of artists. They protect coral reefs from destruction and demonstrate the majesty of active glacier systems. Some parks are living laboratories that house important areas for biodiversity, mating grounds, rare plants or scientific study of species. These types of national parks may seem unexciting and they're not especially popular to visit, but they are of national importance. Some parks are important for preserving and spreading the cultural history of Native Americans, while others are just so stunningly beautiful that to not protect them would be a crime. No matter what, the national parks of the U.S. exist to remind people of the beauty and diversity of a country that is often overlooked.

A National Park Pass
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) offers varying levels of access to the many different parks in the system. While about 75 percent of the parks are free for use, some require fees to help with upkeep of the recreation areas and campgrounds. For frequent park visitors, an Interagency Park Pass might be a wise purchase.


­Obviously, the U.S. isn't the only country with a national park system. Keep reading to find out where some of the most interesting national parks in the world are located and discover what makes
them so special.

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