What is the National Park Service?

The National Park Service was established on August 25, 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. It was designed to help protect and conserve natural scenery and historic objects and to give the public a place to go to enjoy nature and history. The National Park Service cares for many different kinds of places, including battlefields, historic homes, natural areas, prehistoric dwellings, rivers, trails and seashores.

The National Park Service Mission

The mission of The National Park Service is 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. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

What if the National Park Service had not been created? What might have happened to the special places protected by the National Park Service?

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