(Number, 17; total area, 9776 square miles)

National ParksLocationArea in square milesDistinctive characteristics
Hot Springs (1832)Middle Arkansas46 hot springs possessing curative properties—Many hotels and boarding-houses—20 bathhouses under public control.
Yellowstone (1872)Northwestern Wyoming3348More geysers than in all rest of world together—Boiling springs—Mud volcanoes—Petrified forests—Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone, remarkable for gorgeous coloring—Large lakes—Many large streams and waterfalls—Vast wilderness inhabited by deer, elk, bison, moose, antelope, bear, mountain sheep, beaver, etc., constituting greatest wild bird and animal preserve in world—Altitude 6000 to 11,000 feet—Exceptional trout-fishing.
Yosemite (1890)Middle eastern California1125Valley of world-famed beauty—Lofty cliffs—Romantic vistas—Many waterfalls of extraordinary height—3 groves of Big Trees—High Sierra—Large areas of snowy peaks—Water-wheel falls—Good trout-fishing.
Sequoia (1890)Middle eastern California252The Big Tree National Park—12,000 sequoia trees over 10 feet in diameter, some 25 or 36 feet in diameter—Towering mountain-ranges—Startling precipices—Fine trout-fishing.
General Grant (1890)Middle eastern California4Created to preserve the celebrated General Grant Tree, 35 feet in diameter—6 miles from Sequoia National Park and under same management.
Mount Rainier (1899)West central Washington324Largest accessible single peak glacier-system—28 glaciers, some of large size—48 square miles of glacier, 50 to 500 feet thick—Wonderful sub-alpine wild-flower fields.
Crater Lake (1902)Southwestern Oregon249Lake of extraordinary blue in crater of extinct volcano, no inlet, no outlet—Sides 1000 feet high—Interesting lava-formations—Fine trout-fishing.
Mesa Verde (1906)Southwestern Colorado77Most notable and best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in United States, if not in the world.
Platt (1906)Southern Oklahoma118Many sulphur and other springs possessing medicinal value, under Government regulation.
Glacier (1910)Northwestern Montana1534Rugged mountain region—250 glacier-fed lakes—60 small glaciers—Peaks of unusual shape—Precipices thousands of feet deep—Fine trout-fishing.
Rocky Mountain (1915)North middle Colorado400Heart of the Rockies—Snowy range, peaks 11,000 to 14,250 feet altitude—Remarkable records of glacial period.
Hawaii (1916)Hawaiian Islands117Vast volcanoes—Craters—Tropical plants and birds.
Lassen Volcanic (1916)Northern California123Active volcano, volcanic records, lakes, hot springs, and forests.
Mount McKinley (1917)Central Alaska2200"The Great One"; highest peak in North America, 20,300 feet; vast big-animal range; enormous glaciers; wild flowers.

Other National Parks are:—

Sully's Hill (1904) North DakotaWooded hilly tract on Devil's Lake.
Wind Cave (1903) South DakotaLarge natural cavern.
Casa Grande Ruin (1892) Arizona Prehistoric Indian ruin.

For National Park booklets and other Park information address The Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.


C
PROPOSED NATIONAL PARKS

RegionLocationCharacteristics
Grand Cañon Arizona The Grand Cañon.
Mount Evans Near Denver, Colorado Magnificent peak, primeval forests, lakes, and alpine flora.
Mount Baker (the Indian Kulshan) Northwestern Washington Extinct or sleeping volcano; thirty square miles of glaciers, forests, and wild flowers.
Sawtooth Mountains Central Idaho Precipitous mountains, alpine lakes, heavy forests, flowery meadows, clear streams.
Ozark Mountains Northern Arkansas Rare river and mountain landscapes.
Mount McGregor Northeastern Iowa Rare combination of river, hill, forest, bluff, and plains.
Pajarito Cliff Cities Pajarito Plateau, near Santa Fé, New Mexico. Many vast prehistoric ruins of wonderful Indian civilization.
Mount Mitchell Western North Carolina Highest peak east of the Rockies, 6711 feet high; quiet scenery of the South Appalachians.
Pike's Peak Central Colorado The most frequently climbed 14,000-foot peak in the world; excellent view-point, rising abruptly from the plains.
Dunes Northern Indiana Lake Shore; extraordinary aggregation of plants from warm, cold, wet and dry zones.
San Juan Southwestern Colorado Magnificent mountains, individual in form and color, with large scene-commanding plateaus.
Grand Mesa Western Colorado Lake-dotted plateau that towers near splendid horizons.
Bighorn Mountains Northern Wyoming A towering, rocky, scenic alpine-island area in the sea of plains.
Niagara Falls International Park between Canada, and New York near Buffalo Stupendous waterfall; might well become an international park.
Mount Shasta Northern California Highest peak in northern California; alpine flowers; lava deposits; scenery.
Mount Hood Northern Oregon, near Columbia River Volcanic peak; icefields and forests.
Roosevelt Project Arizona Enormous dam; vast reservoirs; desert areas; cactus park; historic ground.
Cañon de Chelly Arizona Towering monolithic rocks; high vertical colored cañons; cliff dwellings.
Sierra Madre Near Los Angeles, California Sierra Madre mountains; rare plant life; commands unusual scenes.