National Parks: Index, 2001-2003

132 Pages·2001·10.4 MB·English

by  National Park Service

The National Parks
Index 2001 -2003
29.103:2001-2003
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Federal Documents
Official Index of the National Park Service

The
National Parks
Index 2001 -2003
Revised to Include the Actions of the
106th Congress ending December 31, 2000
Produced by the Office of Public Affairs
and Harpers Ferry Center
Division of Publications
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.
About thisBook
This index is a complete administrative listingofthe Nation-
al Park System's areas and related areas. It is revised bienni-
allyto reflect congressional actions.The entries,grouped by
state,include administrative addresses and phone numbers,
dates ofauthorization and establishment,boundarychange
dates,acreages,and briefstatements explaining the areas'
national significance.This book is not intended as a guide for
parkvisitors.There isnoinformation regardingcampgrounds,
trails,visitorservices,hours,etc.Those needingsuch informa-
tion canvisit each area'swebsite,accessible through the Na-
tional Park Service ParkNet home page (www.nps.gov).
TheMission oftheNationalParkService
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural
andculturalresourcesandvaluesoftheNational ParkSystem
for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and fu-
ture generations.The National Park Service cooperates with
partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural re-
source conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this
country and the world.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,U.S. Govern-
ment Printing Office,Stop SSOP,Washington, DC20402-
0001.or through the Internet at bookstore.gpo.gov.
Contents
Part 1 Introduction 4
National Park System 6
Nomenclature of Park System Areas 7
Designation ofWildernessAreas 8
Parks in the Nation's Capital 9
Related Areas 9
Regional Offices 9
Maps of the National Park System 10
Statistical Summary 13
Part 2 Descriptive Listing of National Park
System Areas by State 14
Part 3 Related Areas 94
AffiliatedAreas 97
National Heritage Areas 102
Wild and Scenic Rivers System 108
NationalTrails System 115
Alphabetical Listing 120
Parti
Introduction
wt!K%
l
Grand CanyonNationalPark
National Park System
On August 25. 1916, PresidentWoodrowWil-
son signed the act creating the National Park
Service, a new federal bureau in the Depart-
ment of the Interior responsible for protect-
ing the 35 national parks and monuments
then managed by the department and those
yet to be established. This "Organic Act"
states that "the Service thus established shall
promote and regulate the use of the Federal
areas known as national parks, monuments
and reservations...by such means and mea-
sures asconform to the fundamental purpose
of the said parks, monuments and reserva-
tions, which purpose is to conserve the
scenery and the natural and historic objects
and the wild life therein and to provide for
the enjoyment of the same in such manner
and by such means as will leave them unim-
paired for the enjoyment of future genera-
tions."
The National Park Service still strives to
meet those original goals, while filling many
other roles as well: guardian of our diverse
cultural and recreational resources; environ-
mental advocate; world leader in the parks
and preservation community; and pioneer in
the drive to protect America's open space.
The National Park System of the United
States comprises 384 areas covering more
than 84 million acres in 49 States,the District
ofColumbia.American Samoa,Guam,Puerto
Rico. Saipan. and the Virgin Islands. These
areas are of such national significance as to
justify special recognition and protection in
accordance with various actsofCongress.
By the Act of March 1, 1872, Congress es-
Lincoln Memorial tablished Yellowstone National Park in the
Territories of Montana and Wyoming "as a
public park or pleasuring-ground forthe ben-
efit and enjoyment ofthe people"and placed
it"underexclusive control ofthe Secretaryof
the Interior." The founding of Yellowstone
National Park began a worldwide national
park movement.Todaymore than 100nations
contain some 1,200 national parks or equiva-
lent preserves.
In the years following the establishment of
Yellowstone,the United Statesauthorizedad-
ditional national parks and monuments, most
of them carved from the federal lands of the
West. These, also, were administered by the
Department ofthe Interior,while other mon-
uments and natural and historical areas were
administeredasseparate unitsbytheWar De-
partment and the Forest Service of the De-
partment of Agriculture. No single agency tures ofland orwaterofgreat scenic and sci-
provided unified management of the varied entific quality and are usually designated as
federal parklands. national parks, monuments, preserves,
An Executive Order in 1933 transferred56 seashores, lakeshores, or riverways. Such
national monuments and military sites from areas contain one or more distinctive attrib-
the Forest Service and the War Department utes such as forest, grassland, tundra, desert,
to the National Park Service.This action was estuary, or river systems; they may contain
a major step in the developm—ent of today's "windows" on the past for a view ofgeologi-
truly national system ofparks a system that calhistory,imposinglandformssuchasmoun-
includes areas of historical as well as scenic tains, mesas, thermal areas, and caverns; and
and scientific importance. they may be habitats of abundant or rare
Congress declared in the GeneralAuthori- wildlife andplantlife.
ties Act of 1970 "that the National Park Sys- Generally, a national park contains a vari-
tem, which began with the establishment of ety of resources and encompasses large land
Yellowstone National Park in 1872, has since orwater areas to help provide adequate pro-
mown to include superlative natural,historic, tection ofthe resources.
and recreation areas in every region...and A national monument is intended to pre-
that it is the purpose ofthisAct to include all serve at least one nationally significant re-
such areas m the System...." source. It is usually smaller than a national
Additions to the National Park System are park and lacks its diversityofattractions.
now generally made through acts of Con- In 1974,Big Cypress and BigThicket were
mess, and national parks can be created only authorizedasthefirstnationalpreserves.This
through such acts. But the President has au- category is established primarily for the pro-
thority, under the Antiquities Act of 1906, to tectionofcertainresources.Activitiessuch as
proclaim national monuments on lands al- hunting and fishing or the extraction ofmin-
ready under federal jurisdiction. The Secre- erals and fuels may be permitted if they do
tary of the Interior is usually asked by Con- notjeopardizethenaturalvalues.Nationalre-
mess for recommendations on proposed ad- serves are similar to the preserves. Manage-
ditions to the System.The Secretary is coun- ment may be transferred to local orstate au-
seled by the National Park System Advisory thorities.The first reserve,City ofRocks,was
Board, composed of private citizens, which established in 1988.
advises on possible additions to the System Preservingshoreline areasandoff-shoreis-
and policies lor its management. lands, the national lakeshores and national
seashoresfocuson the preservationofnatural
Nomenclature ofPark SystemAreas values while at the same time providing
The diversity of the parks is reflected in the water-oriented recreation.Although national
variety of titles given to them.These include lakeshores can be established on any natural
such designations as national park, national freshwater lake, the existing four are all lo-
preserve, national monument, national cated on the Great Lakes.The national sea-
memorial, national historic site, national shores are on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific
seashore,and national battlefield park. coasts.
Although some titles are self-explanatory, National rivers and wild and scenic river-
others have been used in many different ways preserve ribbons of land bordering on
ways. For example, the title "national monu- free-flowing streams which have not been
ment"has been given to naturalreservations, dammed, channelized, or otherwise altered.
historic military fortifications, prehistoric Besides preserving rivers in their natural
ruins,fossil sites,andtothe Statue ofLiberty. state, these areas provide opportunities for
In recent years,both Congress and the Na- outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing,
tional Park Service have attempted to sim- and hunting.
plify the nomenclature and to establish basic National scenic trails are generally long-
criteria for use of the different official titles. distance footpaths winding through areas of
Brief definitions of the most common titles natural beauty.
follow. Although best known for its great scenic
Areas added to the National Park System parks,morethanhalftheareasoftheNational
for their natural values are expanses or fea- Park System preserve places and commemo-
rate persons, events, and activities important ation areas outside the National Park System
in the nation's history. These range from that are administered by the Forest Service,
archeological sitesassociatedwith prehistoric U.S. Department ofAgriculture.
Indiancivilizationstositesrelatedtothelives National parkways encompass ribbons of
of modern Americans. Historical areas are land flankingroadwaysandofferan opportu-
customarily preserved or restored to reflect nity for driving through areas ofscenic inter-
their appearance during the period of their est.Theyarenotdesignedforhighspeedtravel.
greatest historical significance. Besides the four areas set aside as parkways,
In recent years, national historic site has other units of the National Park System in-
been the title most commonly applied by clude parkways within their boundaries.
Congress in authorizing the addition of such One area of the National Park System has
areas to the N—ational Park System.Awideva- been set aside primarily as a site for the per-
riety oftitles national military park,national forming arts.This isWolfTrap Farm Park for
battlefield park, nat—ional battlefield site, and the PerformingArts,Virginia,America's first
national battlefield has been used for areas such national park. Two historical areas.
associated with American military history. Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, in
But other areas such as national monuments Washington, D.C., and Chamizal National
and national historical parks may include tea Memorial,Texas,alsoprovide facilitiesforthe
tuxes associated with military history.National performingarts.
historical parks are commonly areas of
greater physical extent and complexity than Designation ofWilderness Areas
national historic sites. The lone international In the Wilderness Act of 1%4 Congress di-
historic site refers to a site relevant to both rected certain federal agencies, including the
I S. and Canadian history. National Park Service,tostudy lands theyad-
The title national memorial is most often minister lor their suitability for inclusion in
used for areas that are primarily commemo- the NationalWilderness Preservation System.
rative. They need not be sites or structures Congress has now designated wilderness
historically associated with their subjects. For areasin 44 unitsofthe National Park System.
example, the home oi Abraham Lincoln in Wilderness designation does not remove
Springfield, 111., is a national historic site, but these lands from the parks but ensures they
the Lincoln Memorial in the District of Co- are managed toretain their"primevalcharac-
lumbia is a national memorial. ter and influence, without permanent im-
Several areas whose titles do not include provements or human habitation."There are
the words "national memorial" are neverthe- also32wildernessstudyareasunderNational
less classified as memorials.These are Frank- Park Service management. Ofthese areas, 17
lin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Korean War were formally transmitted for Congressional
Veterans Memorial. Lincoln Memorial. Lyn- action in the Nixon, Ford, and Carter admin-
don Baines Johnson Memorial Grove,Theo- istrations in the 1970s.
dore Roosevelt Island. Thomas Jefferson The Act provides that "there shall be no
Memorial. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and commercial enterprise and no permanent
the Washington Monument in the District of roadwithinanywildernessarea...and (except
Columbia:USSArizona Memorial in Hawaii; for emergency uses) no temporary road, no
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment
Missouri:Perry'sVictory in Ohio:andArling- or motor boats, no landing of aircraft, no
ton House inVirginia. other form of mechanical transport, and no
Originally, national recreation areas in the structure or installation." Wilderness areas
park system were units surrounding reser- are open to hiking and, in some cases, horse-
voirs impounded by dams built by other fed- back riding, primitive camping, and other
eral agencies.TheNational Park Serviceman- nonmechanical recreation. The Wilderness
ages many of these areas under cooperative Actrecognizesthatwilderness"mayalsocon-
agreements.Theconceptofrecreationalareas tain ecological, geological, or other features
has grown to encompass other lands and wa- of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical
ters set aside for recreational use by acts of value."Wildernessembodiesspiritual,artistic,
Congress and now includes major areas in therapeutic, cultural, and many other impor-
urban centers. There are also national recre- tant values as well.
8