Some National Parks at a Glance

 
Written by Travel & Daily Life Staff |
Updated:

[Number, 18; total area, 10,739 square miles]

NATIONAL PARKS
IN ORDER
OF CREATION		 LOCATION AREA IN
SQUARE
MILES		 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS
Hot Springs, 1832 Middle Arkansas 1-1/2 46 hot springs possessing curative properties—Many hotels and boarding houses—20 bath-houses under public control.
Yellowstone, 1872 Northwestern Wyoming 3,348 More geysers than in all rest of world together—Boiling springs—Mud volcanoes—Petrified forests—Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, remarkable for gorgeous coloring—Large lakes—Many large streams and waterfalls—Greatest wild bird and animal preserve in world.
Sequoia, 1890 Middle eastern California 252 The Big Tree National Park—12,000 sequoia trees over 10 feet in diameter, some 25 to 36 feet in diameter—Towering mountain ranges—Startling precipices—Large limestone cave.
Yosemite, 1890 Middle eastern California 1,125 Valley of world-famed beauty—Lofty cliffs—Romantic vistas—Many waterfalls of extraordinary height—3 groves of big trees—High Sierra—Waterwheel falls.
General Grant, 1890 Middle eastern California 4 Created to preserve the celebrated General Grant Tree, 35 feet in diameter—6 miles from Sequoia National Park.
Mount Rainier, 1899 West central Washington 324 Largest accessible single peak glacier system—28 glaciers, some of large size—48 square miles of glacier, 50 to 500 feet thick—Wonderful subalpine wild flower fields.
Crater Lake, 1902 Southwestern Oregon 249 Lake of extraordinary blue in crater of extinct volcano—Sides 1,000 feet high—Interesting lava formations.
Wind Cave, 1903 South Dakota 17 Cavern having many miles of galleries and numerous chambers containing peculiar formations.
Platt, 1904 S. Oklahoma 1-1/3 Many sulphur and other springs possessing medicinal value.
Sullys Hill, 1904 North Dakota 1-1/5 Small park with woods, streams, and a lake—Is an important wild animal preserve.
Mesa Verde, 1906 S.W. Colorado 77 Most notable and best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in United States, if not in the world.
Glacier, 1910 Northwestern Montana 1,534 Rugged mountain region of unsurpassed Alpine character—250 glacier-fed lakes of romantic beauty—60 small glaciers—Sensational scenery of marked individuality.
Rocky Mountain, 1915 North middle Colorado 398 Heart of the Rockies—Snowy range, peaks 11,000 to 14,250 feet altitude—Remarkable records of glacial period.
Hawaii, 1916 Hawaiian Islands 118 Three separate volcanic areas—Kilauea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii; Haleakala on Maui.
Lassen Volcanic, 1916 Northern California 124 Only active volcano in United States proper—Lassen Peak 10,465 feet—Cinder Cone 6,879 feet—Hot springs—Mud geysers.
Mount McKinley, 1917 South central Alaska 2,200 Highest mountain in North America—Rises higher above surrounding country than any other mountain in world.
Grand Canyon, 1919 North central Arizona 958 The greatest example of erosion and the most sublime spectacle in the world—One mile deep and eight to twelve miles wide—Brilliantly colored.
Lafayette, 1919 Maine Coast 8 The group of granite mountains on Mount Desert Island.
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Author: Travel & Daily Life Staff
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