Today marks the anniversary of the National Park Service, signed into law this day, by President Woodrow Wilson, in 1916. He mandated at the time "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife 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."
270 million Americans visit National Parks every year. The most visited parks include: Cape Code National Seashore, The Great Smokey Mountains, Lake Mead and The Delaware Water Gap. Yellowstone, the Everglades and Yosemite do not make the top ten NPS most visited sites, because they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as National Parks and are of a class of themselves.
The National Park Service manages more than just parks and recreation areas. They are responsible for: The National Trails System comprising Historic and Scenic trails. Also, more than 2 dozen National Heritage Areas are under their protection, including such diverse regions as The Hudson River Valley in New York and Shenandoah Battlefield in Virginia. In addition, the NPS manages 16 of the 19 World Heritage Sites in this country, including The Carlsbad Caverns, The Grand Canyon, Independence Hall and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon
Mammoth Caves, Kentucky
Learn More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service
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