WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monday, August 25 marks 109 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act.
The National Park Service (NPS) draws over 318 million visitors each year, and is run by around 20,000 staff members and over 138,000 volunteers.
Yellowstone was the first national park in the United States, established formally in 1872. By the time the NPS was designated in 1916, the U.S. had over 14 national parks that required preservation and organized management.
The inland northwest is home to several national parks, listed by state below:
Washington
Mount Rainier National Park Olympic National Park North Cascades National Park
Oregon
Crater Lake National Park
Idaho
Yellowstone National Park
Montana
Yellowstone National Park Glacier National Park
The program was designed to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations,” according to the NPS website.
NPS is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
To learn more about the National Park System, visit their website.
