The National Park Service Anniversary, August 25th

From the granite walls of Yosemite and geysers of Yellowstone to the battlefields of Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty, ancient Pueblo sites, wild seashores, presidential homes, and neighborhood parks in the heart of American cities, the National Park Service protects an extraordinary collection of places that tell the story of America.

And on August 25, 2026, the National Park Service turns 110 years old.

President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the National Park Service on August 25, 1916. More than a century later, the agency manages 433 individual units covering more than 85 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Those places welcomed more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025 alone.

Hi, I'm Rob Decker. I've spent more than 50 years exploring and photographing America's national parks, and I've watched these remarkable places become an important part of my own life and work. Whether I'm standing beneath the cliffs of Yosemite, waiting for morning light in Grand Teton, photographing wildlife in Yellowstone, or exploring one of the National Park Service's historic sites, I'm continually reminded that the parks protect far more than scenery. They preserve landscapes, wildlife, history, culture, stories, and experiences that belong to all of us.

What Is the National Park Service?

The National Park Service is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior responsible for caring for the places that make up the National Park System.

That system is much broader than the 63 places whose official designation is "National Park."

The 433 units managed by the National Park Service carry many different designations, including national parks, national monuments, national historic sites, national historical parks, national memorials, national battlefields, national military parks, national seashores, national lakeshores, national recreation areas, national parkways, preserves, rivers, and scenic trails.

In other words, Yellowstone National Park, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Cape Cod National Seashore, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gateway Arch National Park, and Statue of Liberty National Monument may have different names, but all are part of the National Park System.

The National Park Idea Began Before the National Park Service

America's national parks actually predate the agency created to manage them.

On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation establishing Yellowstone as the world's first national park. Congress set aside the extraordinary landscape surrounding Yellowstone's geysers, hot springs, canyons, mountains, and wildlife as a public park for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.

It was a revolutionary idea.

At a time when much of America's public domain was being transferred, settled, mined, logged, or developed, the federal government made the unusual decision to permanently protect an enormous landscape because its natural wonders were considered too important to lose.

Yellowstone's creation helped launch a national park movement that eventually spread around the world.

Yellowstone Wasn't the Only Park That Predated the NPS

Other iconic protected areas followed before the National Park Service itself existed.

Yosemite, Sequoia, and General Grant — now part of Kings Canyon National Park — received national park status in 1890. Mount Rainier followed in 1899, Crater Lake in 1902, and several other parks and monuments were established during the early twentieth century.

But there was a problem.

There was no single federal agency responsible for managing all of them.

Different parks and monuments were administered by different government departments. Some received minimal funding. Others relied on military personnel for protection. Rules and management practices varied dramatically from one place to another.

As the number of protected places grew, so did the need for a dedicated organization whose job was to preserve and manage them.

The Antiquities Act Expanded the Idea of Preservation

Another major milestone arrived in 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act.

The law authorized presidents to proclaim national monuments on existing federal lands in order to protect significant historic, scientific, cultural, and natural resources.

That authority broadened the nation's approach to preservation. Important places no longer had to wait exclusively for individual national park legislation before receiving federal protection.

National monuments established through the Antiquities Act have protected everything from archeological landscapes and historic structures to fossils, desert ecosystems, coastlines, caves, and geological formations.

Some national monuments have later been redesignated by Congress as national parks.

August 25, 1916: The National Park Service Is Born

By 1916, the Department of the Interior was responsible for 35 national parks and monuments, but there was still no unified agency devoted exclusively to managing them.

That changed on August 25.

President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, creating a new bureau within the Department of the Interior.

The law gave the National Park Service a mission that still defines the agency today: protect park resources while also providing for their public enjoyment in a way that leaves those resources unimpaired for future generations.

That balance — enjoyment today and preservation for tomorrow — remains at the heart of the national park idea.

How the National Park System Grew Beyond Scenic Landscapes

The earliest national parks were primarily associated with extraordinary western scenery: geysers, giant trees, mountains, volcanoes, and deep canyons.

But America's story is larger than its landscapes.

A major federal reorganization in 1933 transferred dozens of national monuments, military parks, battlefield sites, memorials, and other federal properties to the National Park Service.

Places including battlefields and military sites joined the same system that already protected Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and other natural wonders.

This was a pivotal moment because it helped transform the National Park System into what we recognize today: a collection of places preserving both America's natural heritage and its human history.

That broader mission now includes presidential homes, Civil War battlefields, places associated with the Civil Rights Movement, Indigenous cultural landscapes, historic trails, industrial history, immigrant stories, archeological sites, historic neighborhoods, national monuments, and much more.

What Does the National Park Service Protect Today?

The scope of the modern National Park Service is enormous.

Its 433 units protect more than 85 million acres, but acreage alone doesn't capture the diversity of the National Park System.

More Than 323 Million National Park Visits in One Year

America's relationship with its national parks remains remarkably strong.

In 2025, the National Park Service recorded 323,014,305 recreation visits across the National Park System. More than 13 million overnight stays were recorded, and 26 park sites established new visitation records.

And those visits weren't concentrated only in the 63 national parks.

Some of the most heavily visited places in the entire system are national recreation areas, parkways, memorials, seashores, and historic sites.

That matters because the National Park System isn't simply a collection of famous vacation destinations. Many NPS sites sit close to major cities and communities, giving millions of Americans access to history, recreation, nature, and protected open space without requiring a cross-country trip.

What Does the National Park Service Arrowhead Mean?

The National Park Service Arrowhead has become nearly as recognizable to park lovers as a ranger's flat hat.

The Secretary of the Interior officially authorized the Arrowhead as the National Park Service emblem on July 20, 1951.

Its individual elements represent the broad resources the National Park Service protects:

It's an elegant symbol for an agency whose responsibility ranges from giant sequoias and wild bison to historic buildings, ancient archeological sites, battlefields, rivers, mountains, and coastlines.

Celebrate the National Park Service's 110th Birthday — August 25, 2026

On August 25, 2026, the National Park Service celebrates 110 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act.

Individual parks around the country may mark the anniversary with ranger programs, Junior Ranger activities, educational events, volunteer opportunities, and other local celebrations.

But there's another excellent reason to visit a park this year.

August 25, 2026 is an entrance fee-free day at National Park Service sites that normally charge admission for U.S. citizens and residents.

Not every national park site normally charges an entrance fee, so many places are free every day. At parks that do charge admission, the birthday fee-free designation waives the standard entrance fee for eligible visitors.

Remaining 2026 National Park Fee-Free Days

After the National Park Service's birthday, three additional nationwide entrance fee-free dates remain on the 2026 calendar for U.S. citizens and residents:

Because reservation requirements, parking systems, shuttle programs, road closures, weather, and local conditions vary widely from park to park, always check current information for the specific place you plan to visit.

10 Ways to Celebrate the National Park Service Birthday

You don't have to be standing beneath Half Dome or watching Old Faithful erupt to celebrate the National Park Service.

Why National Parks Still Matter After 110 Years

National parks are sometimes described as places where America preserves its best scenery.

They're much more than that.

They are places where we can watch wolves cross a Yellowstone valley, stand inside the home where Abraham Lincoln raised his family, walk across a Civil War battlefield, climb through ancient Pueblo architecture, look up at a giant sequoia that was already old before Europeans reached North America, or sit beside an ocean shoreline where sea turtles return to nest.

They preserve beauty, but they also preserve memory.

They give scientists places to study ecosystems and climate. They protect wildlife habitat. They preserve archeological sites and historic structures. They give families places to hike, camp, learn, explore, and create their own memories.

And sometimes they challenge us to understand chapters of history that are difficult, complicated, or still unfolding.

That may be one of the National Park Service's greatest strengths: the National Park System doesn't tell just one American story.

It preserves thousands of them.

Frequently Asked Questions About the National Park Service

When is the National Park Service birthday?

The National Park Service celebrates its birthday every year on August 25. President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act on August 25, 1916.

How old is the National Park Service in 2026?

The National Park Service turns 110 years old on August 25, 2026.

Who created the National Park Service?

Congress passed legislation establishing the National Park Service, and President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law on August 25, 1916. The agency was created within the U.S. Department of the Interior.

What was the first national park?

Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872 and is recognized as the world's first national park. It predates the creation of the National Park Service by 44 years.

How many national parks are there in the United States?

There are currently 63 places specifically designated as national parks. Those 63 national parks are part of a much larger National Park System containing 433 units with many different designations.

How many places does the National Park Service manage?

The National Park Service currently manages 433 units encompassing more than 85 million acres. These include national parks, monuments, historic sites, historical parks, memorials, battlefields, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas, parkways, and other protected places.

What is the difference between the National Park Service and the National Park System?

The National Park Service is the federal agency responsible for managing parks. The National Park System is the collection of 433 individual park units managed by that agency.

What is the mission of the National Park Service?

At its core, the National Park Service is responsible for protecting the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the National Park System while providing opportunities for people to enjoy, learn from, and experience those places without impairing them for future generations.

Is August 25, 2026 a free national park day?

Yes. In celebration of the National Park Service's 110th birthday, August 25, 2026 is an entrance fee-free day at National Park Service sites that normally charge entrance fees for U.S. citizens and residents. Other charges such as camping, tours, permits, transportation, or reservation fees may still apply.

How many people visit National Park Service sites each year?

Visitation varies from year to year. In 2025, the National Park Service recorded 323,014,305 recreation visits across the National Park System.

When was the National Park Service Arrowhead created?

The familiar National Park Service Arrowhead was officially authorized as the agency's emblem on July 20, 1951. Its symbols represent vegetation, wildlife, landforms, water, recreation, history, and archeology.

Can presidents create national parks?

National parks are generally established through acts of Congress. Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, presidents may proclaim national monuments on existing federal lands. Congress can later change the designation of a protected area, including redesignating some national monuments as national parks.

Here's to the Next 110 Years

I've been exploring America's national parks for more than 50 years, and I still experience the same sense of anticipation every time I enter a park I've never seen before — or return to one I've known for decades.

There is always another trail. Another photograph. Another piece of history. Another sunrise worth getting up early for.

And that's what makes the National Park Service's 110th birthday worth celebrating.

For more than a century, generations of rangers, scientists, historians, archeologists, firefighters, trail crews, volunteers, partners, and park supporters have helped protect these places while making them available for all of us to experience.

On August 25, choose a park.

Take a hike. Join a ranger program. Photograph a landscape. Learn a story you didn't know. Take your kids or grandkids somewhere they've never been. Or return to the place that first made you fall in love with national parks.

Then do the most important thing of all:

Leave it ready for the next generation to discover.