About Transportation

Not only do national parks tells the story of the history of transportation in America, in many cases, they are the story. Moving visitors to and through national parks employed engineering feats that individuals did not think were possible at the time.

Today, transportation systems in national parks includes:

5,690 miles of paved roads (1,100 miles are parkways) and 7,000 miles of unpaved roads
1,451 bridges
63 tunnels
100 transit systems operating in 64 units (includes 37 interpretive tours)
17,872 miles of trails, of which 5,012 miles (28%) are paved

Learn more about transportation in parks yesterday, today, and tomorrow below!

Alternative Transportation

Pedal and Pedestrian Powered
Bikes, Pedestrians & Multi-use Trails

Trails connect places in a way that allows visitors to leave their cars behind. Bike shares help urban travelers navigate parks.
Powerful People Movers
Buses & Shuttles

Buses and shuttle systems help alleviate the impacts of private automobiles on your national parks and reduce congestion.
Tours and Transportation
Ferries and Water-Based Transportation

Almost 13 million passengers ride ferries in national parks each year.

Infrastructure & Stories

Making the impossible possible
Bridges

Spanning rivers and valleys, bridges were an essential part of the making of America.
Harnessing the Power of Water
Canals

Canals have witnessed history, bringing goods and people to places that would have otherwise been difficult to reach.
How Autos Changed the World
Roads, Routes and Highways

National Parks and cars grew up together. As automobiles evolved, so did National Parks.
Crossing a continent
Trains and Railroads

Running on rails, trains traversed the north american continent and brought a nation together quicker than ever imagined.
Roads to the Future
Transportation and Social Change

Transportation helps people and goods get from ”A” to “B,” but these networks also inspire social change and foster the spread of ideas.
Moving Mountains
Tunnels

Tunnels cut through mountains and shave days off of journeys, greatly advancing transportation in America.
Moving men and supplies
War and Transportation

Many of Americas early battles took place at the junction of roads and railways or bridge crossings and depended on moving men and supplies