|
National parks in order of creation. |
Location. | Area in square miles. |
Distinctive characteristics. |
|
Hot Springs 1832 |
Middle Arkansas | 1-1/2 |
46 hot springs possessing curative
propertiesMany hotels and boarding houses20 bathhouses under
public control. |
Yellowstone 1872 |
Northwestern Wyoming | 3,348 |
More geysers than in all rest of world togetherBoiling
springsMud volcanoesPetrified forestsGrand Canyon of
the Yellowstone, remarkable for gorgeous coloringLarge
lakesMany large streams and waterfallsVast wilderness,
greatest wild bird and animal preserve in worldExceptional trout
fishing. |
Sequoia 1890 |
Middle eastern California | 252 |
The Big Tree National Park12,000 sequoia trees
over 10 feet in diameter, some 25 to 36 feet in diameterTowering
mountain rangesStartling precipicesCave of considerable size. |
Yosemite 1890 |
Middle eastern California | 1,125 |
Valley of world-famed beautyLofty cliffsRomantic
vistasMany waterfalls of extraordinary height3 groves of
big treesHigh SierraWaterwheel fallsGood trout fishing. |
General Grant 1890 |
Middle eastern California | 4 |
Created to preserve the celebrated General Grant
Tree, 35 feet in diameter6 miles from Sequoia National Park. |
Mount Rainier 1899 |
West central Washington | 324 |
Largest accessible single peak glacier system28
glaciers, some of large size48 square miles of glacier, 50 to 500
feet thickWonderful subalpine wild flower fields. |
Crater Lake 1902 |
Southwestern Oregon | 249 |
Lake of extraordinary blue in crater of extinct
volcanoSides 1,000 feet highInteresting lava
formationsFine fishing. |
Wind Cave 1903 |
South Dakota | 17 |
Cavern having many miles of galleries and numerous
chambers containing peculiar formations. |
Platt 1904 |
Southern Oklahoma | 1-1/3 |
Many sulphur and other springs possessing medicinal
value. |
Sullys Hill 1904 |
North Dakota | 1-1/5 |
Small park with woods, streams, and a lakeIs an
important wild animal preserve. |
Mesa Verde 1906 |
Southwestern Colorado | 77 |
Most notable and best preserved prehistoric cliff
dwellings in United States, if not in the world. |
Glacier 1910 |
Northwestern Montana | 1,534 |
Rugged mountain region of unsurpassed Alpine
character250 glacier-fed lakes of romantic beauty60 small
glaciersPrecipices thousands of feet deepAlmost sensational
scenery of marked individualityFine trout fishing. |
Rocky Mountain 1915 |
North middle Colorado | 397-1/2 |
Heart of the RockiesSnowy range, peaks 11,000
to 14,250 feet altitudeRemarkable records of glacial period. |
Hawaii 1916 |
Hawaii | 118 |
Three separate areasKilauea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii:
Haleakala on Maui. |
Lassen Volcanic 1916 |
Northern California | 124 |
Only active volcano in United States properLassen
Peak, 10,465 feetCinder Cone 6,870 feetHot
SpringsMud geysers. |
Mount McKinley 1917 |
South central Alaska | 2,200 |
Highest mountain in North AmericaRises higher
above surrounding country than any other mountain in the world. |
Grand Canyon 1919 |
North central Arizona | 958 |
The greatest example of erosion and the most sublime
spectacle in the world. |
Lafayette 1919 |
Maine coast | 8 |
The group of granite mountains upon Mount Desert
Island. |
Zion 1919 |
Southwestern Utah | 120 |
Magnificent gorge (Zion Canyon), depth from 800 to
2,000 feet, with precipitous wallsOf great beauty and scenic
interest. |
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