National Parks

At A Glance

  • Every dollar in taxpayer money spent on National Parks returned four dollars in economic benefit through tourism and private sector spending.

They are considered a national legacy and a national treasure. America’s national parks protect our country’s majestic landscapes and historic lands. They provide the adventurous an escape into the wild and offer families the opportunity to explore and learn about nature. We’re proud to help the National Park Service protect and expand this legacy.

The park service manages more than 84 million acres of land, including at least 50 national parks, 74 national monuments, 24 battlefields and military parks and 18 national preserves. It also oversees sites on the National Register of Historic Places and sites considered National Historic Landmarks and National Trails. The Fund and NPS have worked together to protect millions of acres of land across the country.

RELATED PROJECTS
Delaware’s “First State National Monument” Woodlawn property, future National Park

The Obama Administration designated the First State National Monument in Delaware on March 25, 2013. Finally, more than 140 years after America’s first national park was created, all 50 states are represented in our park system. The new monument includes… Read More

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park Dillon Pinnacles Black Canyon Gunnison

A rugged landscape that attracts hikers and campers who like a challenge, Gunnison National Park is known for its canyon, river and dramatic rock formations, known as the Dillon Pinnacles. In 2003, we protected a nearly 1,500-acre inholding in partnership… Read More

Petrified Forest National Park Petrified Forest National Park

Arizona’s Petrified Forest is famous for its expansive vistas—stark moon-like landscapes and the colorful eroding badlands of the Painted Desert—and the rainbow hues of large petrified trees found throughout the park. Once a lush landscape of trees and riverways, the… Read More

Wind Cave National Park Buffalo jump at Wind Cave National Park

In 2011, the Fund worked with the National Park Service to add more than 5,500 acres to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Considered a sacred place by the Lakota, Wind Cave is one of the longest and most… Read More

Haleakala National Park Kaupo Gap at Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

With its balmy weather, pristine beaches and breathtaking views of volcanoes, Hawaii is a place to escape to, a place to explore. It’s also a place to protect. The Conservation Fund has worked with the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and… Read More

Kobuk Valley National Park Caribou crossing the Kobuk RIver in Alaska

Every year, Alaska’s Western Arctic caribou herd migrates across a third of the state, including Kobuk Valley National Park. This remarkable herd, with nearly half a million caribou, crisscrosses sculpted sand dunes, breaks trails through the tundra and swims across the Kobuk River… Read More

Fort Davis National Historic Site Fort Davis Texas

The Fund protects the landscapes that define America’s history. That’s why we worked with a group of partners to protect lands around Fort Davis National Historic Site in Texas. Although many of the original buildings and most of the surrounding landscape… Read More

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Cape May warbler

Every summer, millions of tourists descend upon southern New Jersey’s Cape May peninsula for a bit of rest and relaxation. But beginning in the fall, when the crowds move out, a new set of visitors flock to the area: hundreds… Read More

State Game Lands 93: Honoring The Heroes Of Flight 93 Mementos and flags at Flight 93 memorial

In 2006, the Fund and the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced the establishment of State Game Lands 93 by protecting 100 acres located immediately north of the Flight 93 National Memorial.  The Fund and our partners are ensuring that these lands are preserved in solemn… Read More

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Sea and sky at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

We’ve worked for more than a decade to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquire lands for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. To date, we’ve saved nearly 8,000 acres at the refuge; but conservation at Blackwater is about more than… Read More

Japanese-American Internment Camp Preservation Initiative: Minidoka Barracks at Minidoka Japanese Internment Camp

At the start of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese-Americans to internment camps. About 120,000 people were interned during the war; families were forced to leave their… Read More

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

Over 400 years ago, Captain John Smith arrived in the New World—and changed it forever. In addition to helping found Jamestown, the first permanent American settlement, Smith became the first English explorer to map the Chesapeake Bay. He and his… Read More

Lewis And Clark National Historical Park Image of Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark National Historic Park

In 2003, in honor of the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Fund embarked on a major campaign to commemorate this legendary journey by protecting open space, river corridors and resources associated with the passage. Through our Lewis… Read More

LINKS
Protecting State Parks, Rivers and Forests

In addition to assisting the National Park Service in its conservation efforts, we also help state agencies protect their land and water resources. Learn more about our efforts:

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