The National Parks: Home

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Since 1916 the American people
have entrusted the National Park
Service with the care of their
national parks. The uncommon
men and women of the National
Park Service share a common trait:
a passion for caring for the nation's
special places and sharing their stories.

Great Smoky Mountains
National Park

Comprises 814 square miles
of the southern Appalachians which
straddle the border between
Tennessee and North Carolina. 
It is within 550 miles of one third
of the U.S. population and has the
highest visitation of any of the 58
national parks. It is located 90 mi.
from Dalton.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historic Site
Atlanta, GA

The Martin Luther King, Jr.,
National Historic Site includes
a number of facilities that are
operated in partnership with the
National Park Service, Ebenezer
Baptist Church and The King
Center. Within these facilities
the visitor can learn about
Dr. King's life and and his
influence on others.

Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming

Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular
landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife.
A few miles further north lies Yellowstone National Park, the first national park, created
in 1872.

Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in 1872. It is one of the largest
national parks comprising 3472 square miles.  It is larger than the states of Rhode Island
and Delaware combined.

Yosemite National Park
California

On October 1, 1890 President Benjamin Harrison signed the law creating
Yosemite National Park.  It was the second of the 58 national parks.  Its
existance is due mostly to the dedication of John Muir. In 1892 he and a
group of prominent Californians formed the Sierra Club to promote protection
of Yosemite.  Muir would continue his advocacy for the park until in 1906, with
the help of President Theodore Roosevelt, Yosemite valley was put under
the protection of the Federal Government and became part of the larger
Yosemite National Park.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga
National Military Park

The site of one of the major
battles of the Civil War. In
1863, Union and Confederate
forces fought for control of
Chattanooga, known as the
"Gateway to the Deep South."
Though Confederate forces
were victorious at nearby
Chickamauga in September,
renewed fighting in Chattanooga
in November gave Union forces
control of the city.

Trail of Tears
National Historic Trail

In 1838, the United States
government forcibly removed
more than 16,000 Cherokee
Indian people from their home-
lands in Tennessee, Alabama,
North Carolina, and Georgia,
and sent them to Indian Territory
(today known as Oklahoma).
The Trail of Tears National
Historic Trail was designated to
preserve the story, the routes,
and support the sites that
commemorate the Cherokees'
forced migration.