Around the US,  National Parks

National Parks

March 25, 2019 /
Photo courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society

Since 1872, when Congress established Yellowstone National Park as the first in the nation, Americans have been in love with their National Parks.

The National Park service was created on August 25, 1916 to protect the 35 National Parks and Monuments then in existence. Today, there are over 400 areas within the National Park system, including Parks, Monuments, Trails, Heritage areas, and Recreation areas.

I grew up in Utah, a state that is home to five beautiful National Parks. I can’t remember a time in my life when my family didn’t visit National Parks during the summer. The National Parks in Utah are all made of gorgeous red rock, but each one is different.

You probably recognize Arches by it’s famous Delicate Arch, pictured on calendars, tourism brochures, and even on our license plates.

Capitol Reef was formed by a unique wrinkle in the earth, called the Waterpocket Fold.

Canyonlands is cut out of the earth by the Colorado River.

Zion National Park has deep sandstone canyons, carved by the Virgin River, beside high plateaus.

Bryce Canyon National Park is made up of rock formations called Hoodoos.

Although we tend to think of National Parks as big, scenic, natural areas, there are many areas important to our Nation that are within cities. One example of this is Boston. Much of Boston is within a National Park area, including the Freedom trail. There are visitor’s centers at Faneuil Hall on the Freedom Trail South End and in the Charlestown Navy Yard on the Freedom Trail North End.

Tourists with the USS Constitution

Another example is San Francisco, which includes the Maritime National Historical Park and Alcatraz Island, both of which are featured in my post, 10 amazing things to do in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Island

While some of the National Park sites are free to experience, others charge an entrance fee. It might make sense for you to buy an annual pass for $80 (Seniors 62 and older $20) if you are visiting more than one park per year. Also, keep in mind that a whole carload of people can enter on one pass, or, if you are at a Park with a walk-in entrance, the passholder and 3 others (16 years and older) can enter on one pass. Children under 16 are always free.

Children in 4th grade are eligible for a free National Park 4th grade Pass. It can be used just like a regular annual pass. Check out the Every Kid in a Park website for information on obtaining the pass.

As citizens of the United States, we are so lucky to have so many National Parks available to us! Whether you are looking for scenery or history, make sure to visit a National Park this year.

Which National Parks are your favorite?

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18 Comments

  • Pam

    July 25, 2019 at 1:58 pm

    I love the national parks – I think we are so lucky to have access to them. Recently I learned that the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a National Park – I found that fascinating as I had always previously thought of them as outdoor places.

  • Hera

    July 25, 2019 at 6:27 pm

    Love National Parks. Hands down, My fave is Denali Park in Alaska. It was a bucket list dream to hike there. The most incredible place to ever see.

  • Stacey

    July 25, 2019 at 6:58 pm

    I’m Canadian, and while we have some pretty amazing National Parks in our own backyard, I do appreciate the beauty of what our neighbors to the south offer. Thanks for sharing

  • Stacey

    July 25, 2019 at 9:34 pm

    I love visiting parks in the National Park system! How lucky you are to grow up near Arches! I love exploring this great nation of ours, too!

  • kmf

    July 25, 2019 at 11:45 pm

    Zion is high on my list…so beautiful! One that’s closer to me I’ve yet to see is Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota.

  • Missy

    July 26, 2019 at 7:50 am

    That is a hard question to answer because we have visited many national parks and have many to see. I would pick the Grand Canyon.

  • Amanda

    July 26, 2019 at 9:35 am

    We bought a National Parks Annual Pass. It has saved us a bit of money so far! We really enjoyed the Everglades, but we haven’t been out west yet. Those pics are breathtaking.

  • Michele

    July 26, 2019 at 4:04 pm

    We love National Parks as well. We were hoping to visit Yellowstone this September, but it may be delayed. Great read. Thanks for sharing!