NATIONAL-PARK-OF-THE-WEEK.COM

The National Park System has grown from a single park, Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, to a national system of approximately 388 areas.

National Park of the Week highlights the lesser known national parks. Travel to the hidden destinations and little-known wonders of our national park system. Visit natural areas, historical areas, and recreational areas that offer significant opportunities for sports, recreation, camping and family fun.

RECENTLY FEATURED NATIONAL PARKS

• The Big Thicket National Preserve is a biological and botanical wonder located in the southeastern corner of Texas and near the Gulf of Mexico. The preserve attracts bird watchers and other biological travelers from all around the world.
• The Grand Teton National Park protects stunning mountain scenery and a diverse array of wildlife. Adorned with glaciers and snowfields, the Teton Range is unquestionably the park's central feature. The mountains abruptly rise above the sagebrush valley of Jackson Hole and create a rugged, picturesque backdrop.
• The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail retraces the first overland colonizing expedition from Mexico to California. Visitors hike the hundreds of miles of recreational trails and explore history by visiting the dozens of historical sites and missions that are associated with the Anza Trail.
• The Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by the largest protected mixed-grass prairie in the national park system. It is home to bison, bighorn sheep and the most endangered land mammal in North America, the black-footed ferret.

DID YOU KNOW

• There are national parks in 49 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. Which state doesn't have a national park?
• Over half of the national parks are east of the Mississippi River.
• The National Park System encompasses approximately 83.6 million acres.
• The largest park is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska with 13,200,000 acres.
• The smallest park is Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, Pennsylvania, with only 0.02 of an acre.
• Yellowstone National Park was the first national park. Today more than 100 nations contain some 1,200 national parks or similar preserves.
• Yosemite was a California state park 8 years before Yellowstone was established.

NATIONAL-PARK-OF-THE-WEEK.COM

• Home Page features the national park of the week along with the list of previously featured parks.
• National Park Directory includes the list of the 387 National Park areas and the states or territories where they are located.
• Camping Store offers one-stop shopping for all your camping needs - tents, outdoor cooking, binoculars, GPS units, grills, books and much more.
• Travel Resources provide links to State Tourism sites, National Parks sites and other sites of interest.
• Contact Us with questions, comments and requests.