What makes a place special and worthy of extra attention? There are hundreds - probably even thousands - of archeological sites and historic places in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. A few of these are so unique that they have been given special designations such as National Historic Landmark, Cultural Landscape, or National Register site. The National Park Service, as the nation's leading preservation agency, is responsible for keeping lists of these wonderful places.

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 created the National Register of Historic Places. This is the nation's inventory of all historically important places. Most archeological and historic sites are eligible for the list. Dozens in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve have been listed or determined eligible for listing.

National Historic Landmarks are designated under the Historic Sites Act of 1935. These are the nation's most important and unique places. There are only 50 landmarks in the state of Alaska. One of these, Kijik National Historic Landmark, is in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 gave the president the power to designate National Monuments. Although originally intended to protect important cultural sites, presidents soon began listing areas of spectacular natural resources as well. Lake Clark was originally created as a monument in 1978 and became a park and preserve in 1980.

In addition to laws and regulations, there are a number of National Park Service programs and policies that allow special places to be recognized. For example, the Historic American Buildings Survey recognizes important structures on NPS lands and the Cultural Landscapes program identifies and describes geographic areas with special cultural significance. There are two cultural landscapes in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, the Telaquana Trail and Kijik.

The many different ways to recognize historic places help us all stay connected to the places of our shared past.