User:E. Brown/List of National Parks of the United States

National parks have been called “America’s Greatest Idea” in that they are a truly American concept that has resonated throughout the globe. On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law what was called The Act of Dedication that set aside Yellowstone National Park as a "public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." It was the first federally protected parkland in the world created for the sole purpose of protecting its natural environment for future generations to enjoy. Now, most countries have parkland protected by the federal government.

In the United States, national parks are created by acts of Congress, unlike national monuments which can be created by executive order. The purpose of national parks are to federally and legally protect unique natural landscapes and fragile, diverse ecosystems from human encroachment.

As of October, 2009, there are 58 national parks in the US spread across 25 different states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. They are all administered by the National Park Service under the US Department of the Interior. The most recent was Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado, established in 2004. Alaska and California are tied for the most with eight.