One of the great privileges we have in our country is the ability to enjoy our National Parks.
There are a total of 58 national parks preserving over 52 million acres of beautiful scenery, unique geological areas, and historical sites. Yellowstone was the first national park in the world, signed into law in 1872. The most recent national park is the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, established in 2004.
With so many parks from Maine to California, Florida to Alaska, you probably won’t have to travel far to enjoy the beauty and history being preserved for the enjoyment and education of future generations by our National Parks. Can you guess which national park had the most visitors in 2010? My guess was Yellowstone, which is surprisingly #4 on the list at 3,640,185 visitors. The #1 most visited national park in 2010 was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 9,463,538 visitors. Have you been there? Click here for a complete list of the top 10 visited National Parks in 2010.
The National Park Service and the National Parks Conservation Association both maintain websites with a wealth of information for planning your travels to any of the national parks. However, I recently discovered a great website that chronicles the exploration of 50 National Parks by Rob and Jan Wilson, sponsored by Airstream Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Rob and Jan spent 217 day driving 33,464 miles to visit 50 National Parks. The result is a great website that documents their experiences in each of these parks, including photographs, videos, and personal stories. While most of us won’t have the opportunity (or even the desire) to visit 50 National Parks, this website may help you discover a National Park near you that have you never visited. Or Rob and Jan’s stories and photos can take you on a virtual tour through parks you may never have the opportunity to visit.
Click here to visit the Sprinter 2010 Great American Parks — Explore Wide Open Spaces website.
And if you haven’t already done so, before you visit another National Park, be sure to get your “America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – Senior Pass. For only $10, you receive a lifetime pass for entrance into all Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Fish & Wildlife Service sites. Go to http://store.usgs.gov/pass/PassIssuanceList.pdf for a list of locations where you can purchase a pass.
