The National Parks Service is celebrating its 100th birthday this week.
With summer winding down, perhaps this weekend is the time to squeeze in a trip to one of the 58 national parks, especially considering the National Parks Service is offering free admission to all its parks through Sunday in coordination with its centennial celebration.
The properties in the National Parks System nearest to Ohio University are Hopewell National Historical Park, about one hour away from Athens in Chillicothe, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky are also relatively close.
Some History
Yosemite, located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, sort of became the became the first national park in the U.S. in the 1800s, according to National Geographic, when President Lincoln put Yosemite under the protection of California during the Civil War.
Yellowstone, Wyoming, became the first official national park in 1872, and more followed throughout Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.
Even though national parks were technically recognized in the 1800s, no organization existed to protect and preserve the parks until August 25, 1916, when Stephen Mather, a wealthy conservationist and reporter, helped establish the National Parks Service, according to PBS.
The national parks contain some unique natural phenomena. Sequoia National Park in California is home to the largest single stem tree in the world, and Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska has the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley.
Today, the National Park Service manages more than 412 sites and 58 national parks, according to its website.
In 2015, the most visited national parks include Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains and Yosemite, according to the National Park Service. Last year, more than 307.2 million people visited the national parks.
What national parks have you visited? Have you been to any of the one’s we mentioned? Let The Post know on Facebook or in the comments section below!
