Here are some fun facts to learn more about the history and the impact that the National Park Service has had on
the amazing American wilderness:
Each year, the national parks receive more than 200
million visitors. In 2015, the national parks welcomed
a total of 307 million visitors.
The deepest cave in the country is 1,593 feet deep and
is at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest park in the
United States.
Yellowstone contains half of the world’s hydrothermal features. There are over 10,000 features, and more
than 300 geysers in the park.
There are more than 20 battlefields and military parks
that are protected by the National Park Service.
On the Battle Grounds of the Battle of Gettesburg. Photo by: George Veazey
Sequoia National Park is home to the largest living single-stem tree in the world: The General Sherman. The
tree is approximately 275 feet tall and weighs over
2,000 tons.
The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley, which stands at 20,320 feet. It is in the Denali National Park and Preserve.
The Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park
is the lowest point in America, at 282 feet below sea
level.
The longest cave system in the world is located in
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. There are
more than 3,454 miles of caves.
The largest national park is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, located in Alaska. The
park spans over 13 million acres and covers
three separate climate zones.
20 Summer 2016 Adventure Outdoors
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Sequoia National Park, California