National Park Service

The National Park Service was established in the Department of the Interior on August 25, 1916 (16 U. S. C. 1). There are close to 400 units in the National Park System, including national parks, monuments and memorials, scenic parkways, preserves, reserves, trails, riverways, wild and scenic rivers, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas, battlefields and battlefield parks and sites, national military parks, international historic sites, and historic sites associated with important movements, events, and personalities of the American past. The National Park Service is dedicated to conserving unimpaired the Natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.