National Parks

America, as it is known today, was founded by pioneers. And it was beautiful scenery, awe inspiring natural geography, and a respect for the wildness of the West that drove those pioneers to settle all of what is now known as the United States. It is only natural and proper that as a country we should want to try and preserve our original national treasure, the land itself. The Creation of National Parks The first nation-wide program pushed through the senate working toward this end was the National Park Service. The original movement was the brainchild of conservationist Stephen Mather and J. Horace McFarland. A journalist of the day, Robert Yard, covered the movement, helping bring it into the realm of the public. After gaining public popularity, the National Park Service was created August 25th, 1916, through congress’ passing of the National Park Service Organic Act. The bill was signed into action by President Woodrow Wilson, and Yellowstone National Park became the first ever national park. National Parks Today The National Park Service today holds 84,000,000 acres of land, 4,502,644 acres of water, 68,561 archeological sites, 27,000 historical structures, and 58 national parks. All parks are considered to be of national importance. To meet this criteria of national importance, all national parks must be either an outstanding display of a natural resource, an unblemished and accurate example of the nation’s natural resources, an amazing area for recreation and public enjoyment, an illustration of the nation’s history, or a great demonstration of our cultural history. To fund the continual development and maintenance of these national treasures the government has allotted 25 million dollars for the fiscal year of 2010. And of course all national parks have a campground to further facilitate the enjoyment of these nationally protected wonders. National Park Campgrounds The National Parks are one of the great tourist attractions of the United States, with a great deal of public pride for each national park. The national parks receive about 280,000,000 visits each year. Each park offers a varied amount of ways to stay the night, for every socioeconomic class, from lodges to stay in, backcountry to camp and hike, recreational vehicle (RV) campgrounds, tent areas, and more. Naturally, in 2009, the largest group to visit and stay in national parks were RVs, up from 2008 and 2007. Following that are tent campers, lodges, and back country hiker/campers. Continuation of Pioneers The new trend storming across the United States in traveling and camping are RVs. They’re a miniature home on wheels, bringing comfort to traveling. And as they proliferate the market they become more and more affordable, allowing all the public enjoy the chance to become pioneers themselves. Now it is easy to find RVs for sale, and they’re especially affordable when sold used. Nevada Used RVs for sale and Nevada RVs for sale by owner are great ways to pick up an affordable way to travel and enjoy the national parks scattered throughout the United States. National parks were created to be enjoyed, and thanks in part to RVs the amount of the public enjoying them is at an all-time high. So go out and enjoy the natural beauty America has to offer, with its vast natural resources, cultural significance, and important history.