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When people think about national parks, they often think about the most famous ones – places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Denali, Acadia, Glacier, Everglades and the Great Smoky Mountains. These are among the nation’s most sought-after destinations, with awe-inspiring scenery, abundant wildlife and places for adventure and recreation.
Admission is free at most of them, and at the rest, it’s competitive with the cost of a family meal deal at a fast-food joint.
But there is much more to the nation’s park system than just the 63 places formally designated as national parks. The National Park Service also manages nearly 400 other areas designated for their national significance as battlefields, military or historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, monuments, parkways, recreation areas, trails, rivers and preserves.
As a scholar of parks, recreation and tourism who has also published a children’s book about the wonders of the National Park System, I have seen how important these places are to Americans. And when the nation grapples with political divisions, civil unrest, social change or pandemics, these public lands – whether technically national parks or other elements in the wider system – are debated and fought over, protested in and used as an example. But they also provide places to find peace and restoration.
These sites of national significance are in every state in the U.S. – and hold surprising treasures no less wondrous than the big-name destinations, potentially right around the corner from your home.
Enjoyment at the waterfront
America’s coastlines, shorelines, lakes and rivers are often prime destinations for vacationers, but access to them can be limited by private development, and parking and admission fees can be costly.
National parks help protect wide swaths of public access to these popular destinations and the affordability of visiting them for generations to come. Almost all of these water-focused parks allow swimming, beach or shore access, boating and fishing.
For example, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia is an idyllic island with wild horses, historic mansions, uncrowded beaches and a maritime forest where you can hunt for fossilized shark teeth and camp among the Spanish moss-covered oak trees.
Point Reyes National Seashore in California has tule elk and elephant seal herds, a picturesque red-roofed lighthouse and fog-swept cliffs along the Pacific Ocean. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin has sea caves to explore on kayaks.
Backcountry exploration
When people seek a break from the pace of modern life and the demands of being digitally connected, national parks contain expanses of backcountry, where signs of civilization are sparse, and where profound natural beauty, adventure and solitude are still available.
In Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park, you can see moose and hear wolves howl in the island’s wilderness. In South Carolina’s Congaree National Park, you can canoe or kayak on backwater creeks among some of the largest and tallest trees in eastern North America.
In Idaho, Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve allows visitors to explore an otherworldly volcanic landscape of lava flows, cinder cones and lava tubes. Primitive roads there allow people to drive into the backcountry to experience solitude without hiking.
National parks also offer a break from looking at this world entirely: 44 properties in the National Park Service system are certified as International Dark Sky Parks, where the nighttime environment is protected from invasive light pollution by laws and local regulations.
A break from urban life
In America’s suburbs, and even in the heart of major cities, national park lands bring history, nature, leisure and urban life together. These parks reinforce the idea that national parks aren’t just for long-distance vacations but rather for daily life, enjoyment and reflection not far from home.
For example, the Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in Minnesota offers roughly 4 million residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area mostly free access to over 70 miles of the river for all manner of waterborne and shoreline recreation. And just outside of New York City, off Long Island’s south shore, Fire Island National Seashore provides an easy escape to a rare coastal wilderness for undisturbed hikes through dunes and salt marshes.
Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is one of the only national parks fully integrated into a small city. An area first preserved by Congress for public recreation in 1832 – 40 years before Yellowstone became the first official national park – it offers miles of trails that feel wild, despite their proximity to the downtown area. Its historic Bathhouse Row provides opportunities for bathing in thermal waters, and the park encourages visitors to drink the natural waters at the numerous spring-fed fountains in the town.
If a stronger drink is needed, Hot Springs is the only national park that has a brewery within its boundaries, using the park’s thermal spring water in its beers.
Lessons from history and culture
The National Park System also preserves America’s history and culture – and reminds people of the country’s collective mistakes and triumphs. The parks help Americans apply the many lessons of history to current issues. Americans can learn what we as a nation and as a collective of people have done – and what we have always yearned to do.
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia showcases the birthplace of American democracy, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and signed, establishing a new democracy with sweeping goals of equality and opportunity for everyone.
Manzanar National Historic Site in California and Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Hawaii keep alive the stories of forced internments of people who were deemed dangerous or undesirable, reminding Americans that there have been times the nation did not live up to its ideals.
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota and Manhattan Project National Historical Park, with sites in Tennessee, New Mexico and Washington, shed light on the technology and politics of warfare.
And Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C., César E. Chávez National Monument in California and Stonewall National Monument in the heart of New York City – along with many other similar national parks – teach Americans about the generations-long ongoing struggles for civil rights and social justice.
U.S. national parks are more numerous, complex and full of wonder and opportunities for discovery than any one person could fully grasp – whether a self-proclaimed superfan or a credentialed expert. There is always more to discover, with more stories to hear and more places to see and explore.
There are likely lesser-known gems very close by for you to visit. Take a friend, a child or someone who has never been there before. People who use parks love them, and parks supported by love are protected – by all of us.
Jeffrey C. Hallo, Professor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
