I canÂnot, and do not wish to, imagÂine the U.S. withÂout its NationÂal Park sysÂtem. The sale and/or despoÂliÂaÂtion of this more than 80 milÂlion acres of mounÂtain, forÂest, stream, ocean, geyser, cavÂern, canyon, and every othÂer natÂurÂal forÂmaÂtion North AmerÂiÂca conÂtains would diminÂish the counÂtry immeaÂsurÂably. “NationÂal parks,” wrote novÂelÂist WalÂlace StegÂnÂer, “are the best idea we ever had. AbsoluteÂly AmerÂiÂcan, absoluteÂly demoÂcÂraÂtÂic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
Stegner’s quote—which gave Ken Burns’ NationÂal Parks docÂuÂmenÂtary its subtitle–can sound overopÂtiÂmistic when we study the parks’ hisÂtoÂry. Though not offiÂcialÂly desÂigÂnatÂed until the 20th cenÂtuÂry, the idea stretchÂes back to 1851, when a batÂtalÂion, intent on findÂing and destroyÂing an IndiÂan vilÂlage, also found Yosemite. Named for what the solÂdiers thought was the tribe they killed and burned, the word actuÂalÂly transÂlates as “they are killers.”
WestÂward expanÂsion and the annexÂaÂtion of Hawaii have left us many soberÂing stoÂries like that of Yosemite’s “disÂcovÂery.” And durÂing their develÂopÂment in the earÂly- to mid-20th cenÂtuÂry, the parks often required the mass disÂplaceÂment of peoÂple, many of whom had lived on the land for decades—or cenÂturies. But despite the bloody hisÂtoÂry, the creÂation of these sancÂtuÂarÂies has preÂserved much of the country’s embarÂrassÂment of natÂurÂal beauÂty and irreÂplaceÂable bioÂdiÂverÂsiÂty for a cenÂtuÂry now. (The NationÂal Park SerÂvice celÂeÂbratÂed its 100th anniverÂsary just this past August.)
The NationÂal Park SerÂvice and its allies have actÂed as bulÂwarks against priÂvaÂteers who would turn places like Yosemite into proÂhibÂiÂtiveÂly expenÂsive resorts, and perÂhaps fell the ancient RedÂwood NationÂal forests or blast away the Smokey MounÂtains. Instead, the parks remain “absoluteÂly demoÂcÂraÂtÂic,” open to all AmerÂiÂcans and interÂnaÂtionÂal visÂiÂtors, the pride of conÂserÂvaÂtionÂists, sciÂenÂtists, hikÂers, bird watchÂers, and nature-lovers of all kinds. GivÂen the sprawlÂing, ideÂalÂisÂtic, and vioÂlent hisÂtoÂry of the NationÂal Parks, it may be fair to say that these natÂurÂal preÂserves reflect the counÂtry at both its worst and its best. And in that sense, they are indeed “absoluteÂly AmerÂiÂcan.”
There are many ways to expeÂriÂence the NationÂal Parks withÂout long car rides or flights across the counÂtry or the world, though none of them can match the awe and grandeur of the real thing. Ansel Adams phoÂtographed the parks reliÂgiousÂly, and in 1941 received a comÂmisÂsion from the NationÂal Parks SerÂvice (NPS) to creÂate a phoÂto murÂal. World War II scrapped the project, but the 200 plus phoÂtos he took are all freely availÂable online. The NPS has also made availÂable 100,000 phoÂtographs, blueÂprints, and drawÂings of the NationÂal Parks throughÂout their hisÂtoÂry with its Open Parks NetÂwork.
We can add to these already incredÂiÂble free resources the online project NationÂal Parks Maps. Begun in 2013 by ColÂorado park ranger Matt HolÂly, the site curÂrentÂly hosts “1,198 free high-resÂoÂluÂtion nationÂal park maps to view, save, and downÂload.” HolÂly creÂatÂed the site for pureÂly pracÂtiÂcal reaÂsons. “I’ve always found it time-conÂsumÂing to visÂit each park’s web page and use an embedÂded map viewÂer or mudÂdle through the webÂsite to find a nice printÂable map,” he writes. “So I’ve done the dirty work for you.”
That said, we find this colÂlecÂtion is filled with aesÂthetÂic pleaÂsures, and no small numÂber of geoÂgraphÂiÂcal and hisÂtorÂiÂcal curiosiÂties. At the top see a 3D map of Hawaii’s Haleakala NationÂal Park, with a “stunÂning overview of Maui.” Below it, see a map of “the range of the Coast RedÂwood, stretchÂing from southÂern OreÂgon to south of Big Sur.” (RedÂwood NationÂal and State Parks appear as a tiny area on the left, just below the OreÂgon state borÂder.) FurÂther down is a bright blue aerÂiÂal map of Florida’s Dry TorÂtuÂgas NationÂal Park, and below it, a map of the hisÂtorÂiÂcal WilderÂness Road through the CumÂberÂland Gap, the “path of the famous road used by setÂtlers to reach KenÂtucky.” Plus, then the SouthÂern Rim of the Grand Canyon.
FurÂther up, see a map of Death ValÂley, and just above, a floor plan of the U.S. PenÂiÂtenÂtiary on AlcaÂtraz Island. This tiny samÂpling of the more than one-thouÂsand maps at Holly’s NationÂal Parks Maps site shows just some of the natÂurÂal (and man-made) wonÂders the NationÂal Parks SerÂvice stewÂards. For more, visÂit the site, where you can browse by state or alphaÂbetÂiÂcalÂly by park. HolÂly has also uploaded brochures and trail and lodgÂing maps, and includÂed links to othÂer resources as well as gifts and prints. The site more than accomÂplishÂes its pracÂtiÂcal purÂpose of cenÂtralÂizÂing all the carÂtoÂgraphÂic info travÂelÂers might need. But it also makes an implicÂit case for the NationÂal Parks by showÂing us how well they have kept intact the country’s definÂing feaÂtures, which will, one hopes, still be here long after we are gone.
via MenÂtal Floss
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Yosemite NationÂal Park in All of Its Time-Lapse SplenÂdor
226 Ansel Adams PhoÂtographs of Great AmerÂiÂcan NationÂal Parks Are Now Online
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
Thanks for sharÂing incredÂiÂbles Maps.
I start ThinkÂing that all the World Bright for this Gret views
for us with splenÂdors.
Thanks for all GeoÂgraphÂics curiosiÂties.
I’m an avid hikÂer and travÂelÂer. I’ve always decÂoÂratÂed my housÂes with maps of places I’ve been(missing quite a few) or places I want to go. I just got a place outÂside of Palm springs. My friends and I plan all trips out of here but my walls are bare. We need inspiÂraÂtion!! Can you help us?