Anniversaries
News: Did you know? US National Parks anniversary
Out of the 58 American National parks, when did the best known parks become National Parks?
1899:
- Mount Rainier with 235,625 acres is located in Washington State. Discovered by Captain George Vancouver in 1792, it was named after his friend, Peter Rainier. It was established on March 2nd by President W. McKinley. Mount Rainier is known for its volcano, many glaciers and amount of snowfall it gets each year (about 57 feet!).
1919:
- Arcadia (47,633 acres), located in Maine, is one of the most visited US National Parks. It was established on February 26th and remained named Lafayette Park until 1929. It is known for Mount Desert Island, all of its mammal and bird species, and its beautiful mountain, desert and seashore sceneries.
Grand Canyon Park
- Zion (146,592 acres) on the Colorado Plateau in Utah was established by President Wilson on November 19th. It was discovered by the Mormons. They gave the park its name, meaning sanctuary. Since 2000, it is one of the parks, where you cannot drive your car anymore to help reduce pollution. It is known for Little Zion canyon, the 900 species of plants and the red and white sandstone cliffs.
- Grand Canyon Park in Arizona (1,217,403 acres) is the second most visited national park in the US. It became official on February 26th of that year. It is known for its fabulous sunsets and sunrises over the South and North Rims, it scenic views of the Colorado river and the multicolored rocks.
The Grand Canyon Park South Rim
1929:
- Grand Teton (309,994 acres) in Wyoming was established on February 26th like the Grand Canyon and Arcadia parks. French trappers gave it its name. The area is known for the Snake river, Jenny and Jackson lakes, the Grand Teton mountain range and the highest peak at 13,766 feet (4,196 meters).
