National Park Service: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 14, 2026

News •

National Park sites are free today. Here's where to visit in Michigan • Nov. 11, 2026, 6:03 AM ET (Detroit Free Press)

Trump officials weigh major overhaul of National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife • Nov. 7, 2026, 6:15 PM ET (Washington Post)

You can visit Washington state’s 3 national parks for free. See when — and why • Oct. 27, 2026, 11:25 PM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)

Plaintiffs in Trump arch project seek injunction to stop administration from beginning work Nov. 5 • Oct. 22, 2026, 7:37 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	NPS
Date	1916 - present
Areas Of Involvement	conservation • 7 Wonders of America • national park • Happy 100th Birthday, National Park Service! • national monument
Related People	Woodrow Wilson

Photos and Videos

Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park

Painting by Thomas Moran showing the dramatic cliffs and vivid colors of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park, with two small figures standing on a rocky outcrop.

Yosemite National Park: Vernal Fall

Glacier National Park: Iceberg Cirque

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Giant Dome and Twin Domes

Margerie Glacier with jagged blue ice sits above Glacier Bay. Steep, snow-covered mountains are in the background.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Tour Yellowstone National Park's geysers and hot springs and observe its wildlife

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

KGB Central Intelligence Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation National Security Agency MI6 Mossad U.S. Secret Service U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Protection Agency

Gutzon Borglum. Presidents. Sculpture. National park. George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Theodore Roosevelt. Abraham Lincoln. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota.

National Parks and Landmarks Quiz

Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.

All-American History Quiz