History

U.S. Census Bureau History: National Park Week 2014

National Parks Promotional Poster, ca. 1936.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

National Park Week runs from April 19 through April 27, 2014. This annual event celebrates the natural, historical, and cultural landmarks of the United States. During opening weekend, April 19–20, entrance fees are waived.

The U.S. National Park System incorporates 401 locations and includes national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, preserves, seashores, historic sites, military parks, and monuments. Below are some facts from the U.S. Census Bureau concerning our national parks:

• The first national park in the United States was established in 1872. Yellowstone National Park was created from the territories of Montana and Wyoming which had populations of 20,595 and 9,118, respecitvely, in 1870. Today, the park occupies portions of the present-day states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
• In 1875, Mackinac National Park was established on Mackinac Island, MI, becoming the second national park. However, when nearby U.S. Army Fort Mackinac was decommissioned in 1895, the park was transferred to the state. Mackinac Island State Park was the first state park in Michigan.
• Between 1920 and 1950, the number of visitors to National Park Service (NPS) areas increased from just over 1 million, to nearly 33 million. By 2010, the number of yearly visits to NPS areas was more than 279 million.
• The most recent national monument sites were designated by President Barack Obama on March 25, 2013: Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, OH; First State National Monument in New Castle, DE; Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Cambridge, MD; Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in Questa, NM; and San Juan Islands National Monument near Friday Harbor, WA.