Winter at Acadia National Park NPS PhotoThough the affluent of the turn of the century came here to frolic, they had much to do with preserving the landscape that we know today. It was from this social strata that George B. Dorr came. He devoted 43 years of his life, energy, and family fortune to preserving the Acadian landscape.
In 1916, Sieur de Monts National Monument was created with 6,000 acres of land donated by individual landowners. In 1919, it became Lafayette National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi River. In 1929, the name was changed to Acadia National Park.
Today, Acadia preserves about 40,000 acres of Atlantic coast shoreline, mixed hardwood and spruce/fir forest, mountains, and lakes, as well as several offshore islands.
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Wind Cave National Park Picture by NPSWind Cave National Park protects a limestone cave in the scenic Black Hills that is decorated by beautiful boxwork and calcite crystal formations. The park’s mixed grass prairie displays an impressive array of wildlife.
Wind Cave NP was established January 9, 1903. Wind Cave National Game Preserve was established August 10, 1912 and added to Wind Cave National Park on June 15, 1935.
Total Acreage: 28,295, all federal.
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Virgin Islands National Park Picture by NPSVirgin Islands National Park covers much of the island of St. John. Features include coral reefs, quiet coves, blue-green waters, and white sandy beaches fringed by green hills. There are also early Indian sites and the remains of Danish colonial sugar plantations.
Virgin Islands NP was authorized August 2, 1956 and was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
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Ofu Beach NP of American Samoa NPS PhotoNational Park of American Samoa includes paleotropical rain forests, pristine coral reefs, and white sand beaches on three volcanic islands in the South Pacific that are home to a variety of tropical animals, including the flying fox fruit bat. Overnights in villages are encouraged.
NP of American Samoa was authorized October 31, 1988 and a 50-year lease was signed September 9, 1993. The lands for this National Park are owned by the villages and are leased to the National Park Service.
Total Acreage: 9,000, all nonfederal, Water area: 2,500.
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Olympic National Park picture by NPSOlympic National Park is a large wilderness area featuring glacier-capped mountains, deep valleys, meadows, lakes, giant trees, 57 miles of unspoiled beaches, wildlife like Roosevelt elk and Olympic marmot, and a spectacular temperate rain forest.
Olympic National Park was proclaimed Mount Olympus National Monument March 2, 1909; and renamed and redesignated as Olympic National Park June 29, 1938. The park was made a Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage Site on October 27, 1981.
Total Acreage: 922,650, Federal: 913,530, Nonfederal: 9,119.
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