The national parks of today are public resources for recreation, education, scholarship, and the preservation of endangered landscapes, natural communities, and species.
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National parks benefit the environment by supporting a wide assortment of critical needs such as biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and key habitats, preserving endangered species, acting as a source of clean water (and as a producer of clean energy), and helping to reduce the impacts of natural disasters due to an ...
Hosting special events such as concerts, festivals, farmers' markets, or holiday celebrations within park areas can draw in visitors and generate income through various means, including ticket sales, fees, sponsorships, and concession stands.
Opponents claim the land could be made more economically productive. They say wildlands are a detriment to society and do not help the average citizen. And they argue—somewhat bizarrely—that our children will one day thank us for not making parks. President Theodore Roosevelt in Yellowstone National Park in 1903.
As former NPS rangers, we're proud to have participated in protecting what many observers call “America's best idea.” Privatizing the parks or turning them over to the states runs directly against the idea that they are for all Americans, forever.
Lava is best seen at night along the south rim. There are three main viewing locations: Kupina?i Pali (Waldron Ledge) from Crater Rim Trail, Kilauea Overlook, and Keanakako?i Crater. Keanakako?i Crater is the closest eruption viewpoint - here you'll see a lava lake that emits a reddish-orange glow at night!
The largest national park is Wrangell–St. Elias in Alaska: at over 8 million acres (32,375 km2), it is larger than each of the nine smallest states. The next three largest parks are also in Alaska.
The smallest park is Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri, at 192.83 acres (0.7804 km2). The total area protected by national parks is approximately 52.4 million acres (212,000 km2), for an average of 833 thousand acres (3,370 km2) but a median of only 220 thousand acres (890 km2).