0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1900 1920 1940 1960

Year

1980 2000 2010

Total number of national parks established

Number of visitors (millions)

Number of U.S. National Parks and Annual Park Visitation, 1900–2010

Parks

Visitors

Based on data from the National Park Service.

13

Land Resources

U.S. NATIONAL PARKS

I

n 2003 and 2004 two new U.S. national parks were

created, Congaree National Park in South Carolina

and Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

These parks bring the total number of U.S. national

parks to 58. The number of people visiting national

parks has increased dramatically since parks were first

established, now numbering nearly 300 million visitors

annually (see graph).

One of the smallest national parks, Congaree

preserves the largest remaining intact hardwood

bottomland (swamp) forest in the United States (see

inset). It provides crucial terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

habitat for many species.

Designating a national park does not happen

overnight. The Sierra Club began campaigning to

preserve the Congaree Swamp in 1969, and Congress

established the Congaree Swamp National Monument in

1976. More than 25 years elapsed before the Congaree
      was designated a national park, after its growing
      recognition as a unique and important land resource.
      Great Sand Dunes National Park features the highest
      sand dunes in North America, some as tall as 230 m
      (750 ft) (see large photograph, with the Sangre de Cristo
      Mountains in the background), which formed
      as rain and wind eroded the surrounding mountains.
      As with Congaree, establishing Great Sand Dunes
      National Park took several years and included its
      designation as a national monument. Land purchases
      involved the Nature Conservancy, as well as federal,
      state, and private donors.
      National parks represent much more than wildlife
      sanctuaries. Parks preserve the land for future generations
      to enjoy the beauty of fast-disappearing natural areas.

Interpreting Data

During what decade were the most parks

established? When did visitation change the

most? How might you explain the trend in

number of visitors between 2000 and 2010?