Snapshots Spotlight
US National Parks: An American Treasure
In the 2009 PBS documentary series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns eloquently describe our National Parks: “They are a treasure house of nature’s superlatives---84 million acres of some of the most stunning landscapes anyone has ever seen…. But they are more than a collection of rocks and trees and inspirational scenes from nature…. [They are] where countless American families have forged an intimate connection with their land—and then passed it on to their children”.1
The first concept for setting aside large preservations of land of natural and cultural beauty is attributed to American painter and writer, George Catlin. During the 1830’s, Catlin travelled extensively through much of North America on an endeavor to capture the images on canvas of North American Indians and the wilderness they lived in. In 1842 Catlin published writings chronicling his adventures and suggested that the government should preserve what he called “a Nations Park” that would preserve and showcase the “pristine beauty and wildness… where the world could see for ages to come”.2,3
As other travelers, painters and writers explored and witnessed the spectacular scenery of the expanding United States, the interest in preserving the majestic natural beauty of those areas grew. The first such area was Yosemite Valley, which in 1864, California Senator John Conness sponsored legislation which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. That set aside Yosemite Valley as a protected land and under the control of the State of California, would become America’s first designated State Park. Later the Yosemite Valley would become part of the larger Yosemite National Park.2
The very first
official National Park established in the United States, as well as the World,
was Yellowstone National Park. During 1869-71, several expeditions ventured
into the remote area of the territories of Wyoming and Montana. David E Folsom,
Henry D. Washburn and Ferdinand V. Hayden had each explored the Yellowstone
area and publicized their amazing geologic documentation of the many geysers,
as well as other geothermic and geologic features present in the area. However
since the proposed park was in a US territory rather than a state like Yosemite
in California, it was established as a National Park under the protection and
administration of US Federal Government. The bill passed Congress in 1872 and
was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.2
In 1875, Mackinac
Island, located on Lake Huron in the state of Michigan, was designated as the
second US National Park. However in 1895, it was transferred to the State of
Michigan and become a State Park. In 1890, three National Parks were
established in California: Yosemite, Sequoia and General Grant (which later became
part of Kings Canyon National Park in 1940).2
Between 1899 and 1919, many other National
Parks were established:
- Mount Rainier National Park, Washington,
1899
- Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, 1902
- Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota,
1903
- Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, 1906
- Glacier National Park, Montana, 1910
- Rocky Mountain National Park,
Colorado, 1915
- Hawaii National Park, 1916, (Later split
into Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala in 1960)
- Lassen Volcanic National Park, California,
1916
- Mount McKinley National Park, Alaska, 1917
(Later became Denali National Park in 1980)
- Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1919
- Zion National Park, Utah, 1919.
One of the
greatest advocates for the establishment of Protected National Parks was conservationist and a founder of the Sierra Club, John
Muir. Muir first travelled to the Yosemite Valley in 1869 to take a job working
in a sawmill. However, his life was forever transformed by the natural beauty
and grandeur he witnessed there. He has been described as the “patriarch for
both the idea of wilderness preservation and the development of National Parks”.4
John Muir became
instrumental in aiding the preservation of land for seven National Parks. In
1903 he gave President Theodore Roosevelt a tour of Yosemite National Park to see many of the magnificent
views of the scenery there. President Roosevelt, after experiencing Yosemite and several
other National Parks that year, would become one of the greatest political advocates
and a primary supporter of the National
Parks, signing legislation that established five additional National Parks, and
designated 18 National Monuments during his presidency.1
“Thousands of
tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people
are beginning to find out that going to
the mountains
is going home; that wildness is a necessity;
and that
mountain parks and reservations are useful,
not only as fountains of timber and irrigating
rivers,
but as fountains of life.”
John Muir4
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The National Park System has grown significantly since it was first established. Currently there are 59 US
National Parks that are a beautiful treasure of diverse gems scattered across
27 states and two US Territories. California has the most of any state with
nine, Alaska is next with eight, Utah has five and Colorado with four.5
So why go visit a
National Park? Sometimes just witnessing the immense beauty of nature can offer
a great peace, strength and clear perspectives in life. Great people with an appreciation
for some of the most awe inspiring places have gone before us to preserve these
remarkable works of nature for us to see, value and appreciate. Experiencing and
witnessing those magnificent National Parks, will give us the courage, the
strength and the determination to continue to support, preserve and pass on those
majesties of nature to the many future generations to come. So help support and preserve an American Treasure! Visit a National Park!
Snapshots Across America features these game cards:
Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon National Parks have also been featured on the new U.S. Mint America the Beautiful Quarters that were released in 2010.
Follow us for more Snapshots Spotlights about the many great tourist attractions featured in the educational boardgame, Snapshots Across America. New edition to be released Summer 2015.
Copyright 2015, Sandell Games.
