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Are There Really 391 Units in the National Park System? You Won’t Think So After You Read This!

Oct 2nd - 07:42am | Rangertoo

Add one more category: Homestead National Monument of America. The only "National Monument of America'"

Oct 1st - 16:07pm | Bob Janiskee

Since the National Park Service doesn't know what a national park is, why should I be expected to know?

Oct 1st - 15:47pm | D Crowl

Bob, how many do you count?

Oct 1st - 12:10pm | Sabattis

In response to Dan, there are actually 20 National Monuments that are run outside of the Park Service – and they are run by a veritable potpourri of land agencies, including BLM, the Forest Service, the Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and even the Armed Forces’ Retirement Home.

Sep 30th - 14:51pm | Bugsyshallfall

Sometimes Just coming up a a name for a park can be a problem. For Example, At my Park, Boston Harbor Islands, its very name has become an issue. At first look, the park acts and feels very much like a National Recreational Area but it is called officially a National Park Area ( it is a Recreational Area legally), why?

Sep 30th - 12:19pm | Bob Janiskee

None of these non-NPS administered National Monuments are counted in the National Park System 391-tally, of course. Still, the administrative ambiguity does add an additional layer of confusion. Traveler is going to take up the topic of designation confusion in a future article. In this one we tried to stay focused on the count per se.

Sep 30th - 12:13pm | Dan

And don't forget the 'National Monuments' that aren't administered by the National Park Service. The BLM administers fifteen 'national monuments' in eight western states, and according the the BLM website, there are 'national monuments' that are administered by the Forest Service and the Fish & Wildlife Service as well.

Sep 30th - 10:38am | SaltSage236

Interesting about Charles Pinckney. From the day they first opened the place to the public in the early 90's, that park has been a staple of the local high school history class field trip circuit.

Sep 30th - 09:19am | MRC

All those decisions made sense at one time - at least for those who took them. The National Park System is not constructed, it grew to the way it is now. The ideas about individual parks and the system as such became entangled into what can only be described as Gordian knot. Maybe a sharp sword would be a useful tool for the next administration.

Sep 30th - 08:18am | Bob Janiskee

Not much to see at Snee Farm, dapster. The Charles Pinckney NHS has been described as a sham (I find it hard to disagree) because it has so little to do with Charles Pinckney and has NO Pinckney era structures. This park would be very high on my list of parks to abolish the first chance we get. How that park ever got established in the first place is still something of a mystery to me.

Sep 30th - 08:16am | Rangertoo

To really understand this issue you have to really understand how the National Park Service operates: not like a single government bureau, but like a fast food franchise. Each unit is part of a larger organization that sets basic standards and practices. Beyond that, each franchise manager (park superintendent) interprets the corporate programs to fit local conditions.

Sep 30th - 08:00am | dapster

Bob, Thanks for the clarification. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site is not in Charleston harbor; it's well north of Charleston just off US-17 and not far from Boone Hall Plantation.

Sep 29th - 17:48pm | Barky

Thanks for a good article on a pet peeve topic. I had to put a disclaimer on my own blog because I couldn't figure out where the 391 unit count comes from. ================================= My travels through the National Park System: americaincontext.com

Sep 29th - 16:26pm | Bob Janiskee

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site is not in Charleston harbor; it's well north of Charleston just off US-17 and not far from Boone Hall Plantation.

Sep 29th - 15:32pm | dapster

SaltSage is correct: By the way, Charles Pinckney NHS is also administered by Fort Sumter, but there's no sign anywhere announcing that it's a unit of any other park.

Sep 29th - 14:32pm | SaltSage236

About Fort Moultrie:

Sep 29th - 14:25pm | SaltSage236

The National Park Service isn't the only agency guilty of toying with the public's perception of what is and what isn't an agency's unit and merrily confusing people.

Sep 29th - 14:15pm | dapster

Interesting article. Just goes to show how absolutely confusing the whole system has become. I know of one misplaced "Recreational Area" designation in the whole works, but anyone who has read my past posts knows my stance on that.... I find this one the most curious, since I've been there on several occasions:

Sep 29th - 13:17pm | Lepanto

Another intriguing thought-piece by Bob!

Park History: Yosemite National Park

Oct 1st - 23:20pm | Hobblefoot

I just returned from a trip to Yosemite NP. I spent 2 days hiking from Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, 5 days backpacking from Cathedral Lakes , Sunrise, Merced Lake, Red Peak Pass, & then down to the valley for 2 nights. My impressions are as follows; Tuolumne Meadows is a fantastic intro to the High Sierras and the hike from Cathedral to Sunrise was truly spectacular.

**** Viewing National Parks Traveler on Firefox 3.0****

Oct 1st - 18:37pm | Kurt Repanshek

Frank, I'm hoping (hopeful?) that I've found a tech who can solve the problem by mid-October at the latest (might be sooner, but I've got travel that could delay things). Thanks for hanging in there....

Bird Nests and Closures Spurring Civil Disobedience at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Oct 1st - 16:05pm | hard fishing bi...

It would appear from the detailed statistics which are only gathered by site visitation, that a self proclaimed elit group can wander the shores within their private bird santuary at the expense of all others. Arrogance by elite components of any society has always spawned reprocussions.

National Park Quiz 22: Angels and Saints

Oct 1st - 14:40pm | Bob Janiskee

Nice catch, Griz. All these years I've thought that the church was in the Bronx! I've made the correction.

Oct 1st - 14:17pm | griz

In regards to question #8. While Saint Paul's Church is in New York state, it is just outside the boundary of New York City in the city of Mount Vernon, NY.

Fall Is A Great Season in Glacier National Park

Oct 1st - 13:32pm | JimB

Donna - A good reminder that weather is always a wild card on outdoor trips, and that's even more the case in the mountains.

Oct 1st - 10:58am | Donna Hull

We've had good and bad weather luck visiting Glacier National Park in the fall. In September 2004, we experienced beautiful sunny days. My husband returned last Saturday from a photography trip to Glacier. The weather was cloudy, rainy and snowy his entire visit.

Pruning the Parks: Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area Was a National Park for Just Five Years

Oct 1st - 10:02am | SaltSage236

The NPS apparently very much wants to keep Curecanti NRA, and currently has a plan out for public comment that would expand Curecanti and calls on Congress to officially designate the NPS manager of the public land surrounding Curecanti's three reservoirs. Curecanti, very likely Colorado's most inferior NPS unit, is managed together with adjacent Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Oct 1st - 08:11am | Rangertoo

Congress should complete this excellent decision and divest from the NPS Lake Meredith, Amistad, Curecanti, and the park formerly known as Grand Coulee NRA. The Army Corps actually has an excellent public recreation operation that can take some of these sites and the USFS the rest. Get the NPS out of managing reservoirs with little else to offer besides simple water-based recreation.

Oct 1st - 06:03am | Barky

It makes me wonder if other National Recreation Areas should be transferred to the forest service. The whole debate about recreation vs. preservation continues to rear its ugly head. Maybe recreation doesn't belong in the list of NPS missions and such areas should be transferred out. Just a thought. ==========================================

How To Buy National Park-Related Gifts Without Leaving Home

Oct 1st - 05:59am | Anonymous

New park ornaments have arrived at Inner Peace Designs. Zion and Death Valley National Parks were just added to the short list this American company produces. Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon, and Crater Lake just to name a few others they carry. They must have a contract with the National Parks Service to do these. Very nice detail. Keep an eye out for these in gift stores in the parks.

Uranium Exploratory Drilling Near Grand Canyon National Park is Halted Pending a Full Environmental Review

Oct 1st - 05:03am | Ex-resident

Another environmental impact study? And who decided this? The person getting paid for the study? The Grand Canyon and all surrounding area for miles and miles and miles, have been environmental impact studied to death. All another study would do is keep the people with letters after their name in salaries.

Sep 30th - 11:59am | ssurasky

Finally, a clear win for proceeding the correct way, that is, performing due diligence environmental and public reviews before allowing potentially damaging and irreversible activities. Hats off to the organizations and individuals who took the legal action required to prevent the Forest Service from doing as they please.

Fall Into Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Kills California Woman

Sep 30th - 23:22pm | Anonymous

its been a year since this incident. has anyone heard anything about how her family is doing? I was an aquaintane of Charlotte's. I didn't know her very well but I've always wondered how her family is and if there was a memorial service for her.

A Florida Keys National Park? Good Conservation or Florida Bail-out?

Sep 30th - 14:54pm | Bugsyshallfall

Maybe, the area is question should be bought by the BLM and/or the State.

Sep 29th - 17:47pm | Barky

Ooof, a tough issue. Of course, I'm sure no one in Florida is trying to profit off a real estate scheme. That's soooo unlike South Floridians :dripping with overwhelming sarcasm:. Realistically, not many of these islands can sustain much development. That's just a simple fact. Not that there aren't Americans living in unsustainable places....

Grand Canyon Railway May Expand Rail Service to the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park

Sep 30th - 10:30am | Ryan

We took the train at the end of June (2008). It was wonderful. My 82 year old Aunt, her niece and myself loved coming back to the Grand Canyon area via the train (instead of by car the first time we saw the canyon). It was clean, on time and a pleasure to ride. The live entertainment (wild west show before, singing cowboys on the way to the rim and the "robbery"

Sep 28th - 15:02pm | JimB

It's been a long time since I worked at the Grand Canyon, but even then vehicle traffic was a challenge. The train is certainly a great way for people to visit the park and leave their vehicles elsewhere.

Heavy Rains and Flooding from Hurricane Ike Remnants Left a Mess at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Sep 30th - 09:11am | MRC

Cooperation between the NPS and State authorities is possible. Probably the best example is Redwood National and States Parks in California. There three State parks (dedicated in the 1910s) were connected by Redwood National park in 1968. In 1984 the administration was put together and now the Parks are led by a superintendent from the NPS under shared jurisdiction.

Sep 30th - 06:21am | Anonymous

I just read your articles concerning the confusing counting methods of the NPS, and the Hurricane Ike damage at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. I thought I would share some thoughts and information with you.

Winter Storm Uncovers 19th Century Shipwreck at Cape Cod National Seashore

Sep 30th - 07:55am | SBL

Nice written post. It is really hard to imagine things. We had a same incident near SBL.

How Far Should National Park Rangers Go To Safeguard Your Life?

Sep 30th - 06:58am | Anonymous

I think a distinction needs to be made between Seashores and Lakeshores that are isolated from urban areas, and NPS areas like Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore that is an urban park. the Indiana Dunes area has been attracting users for well over a century, primarily from the greater Chicagoland area, all seeking the beautiful beaches, and swimming in Lake Michigan.

Trigger-happy Man Shoots Another Rustling in the Brush

Sep 29th - 21:12pm | JimB

To follow-up on the analogy of licensed vehicle drivers to CHL holders, one of my major concerns is the fact that in many states it is much easier to obtain permit to carry a concealed deadly weapon than a driver's license.

Sep 29th - 16:24pm | Anonymous

Guns and booze don't mix well anywhere.... Nor do cars and booze. Bashing CHL holders for this incident makes about as much sense as bashing licensed drivers everytime a drunk unlicensed driver hurts someone.

National Park Quiz 5: Biggest This or That

Sep 29th - 13:46pm | Dave C

Fascinating stuff, love reading these quizzes! If you're into NP trivia, visit the county highpoints website, and click on the National Parks and National Monuments sub-pages. www.cohp.org

Appellate Court Upholds Lower Court Ruling on Development at Gateway National Recreation Area

Sep 29th - 12:35pm | d-2

I hasten to say I agree with Barky that the leasing idea with Wassel is a good idea, but I think NPS should have (IE: get congressional approval) explicit authority to use historic leases to displace public use of prime park assets. I agree that Ft. Hancock is a bad example, and is not a good precedent to use on other parks.

Sep 28th - 11:13am | Anonymous

We need some context here. We are mixing apples and oranges, and there ARE some scary issues presented by the various cases Kurt has raised:

Yellowstone, Grand Teton Officials Searching For Snowmobile, Snowcoach Solution

Sep 29th - 09:50am | jsmacdonald

Let me say this about jobs because a lot of people don't have the opportunity to visit Yellowstone in the winter and so are lost in the fog of the rhetoric. If you go to the gateway towns, like West Yellowstone, you will be astounded by the high percentage of businesses that are closed for the entire winter, even during the height of snowmobile season.

Sep 29th - 07:59am | MRC

How did your parents and grandparents get to the lake, if "you cannot access these areas in a reasonable fashion" without a gas burning engine? Forget your snowmobile, take out the cross country skis and follow the family tradition.

Sep 28th - 20:10pm | Anonymous

I do live in this area and a big part of being able to ride in the parks is accesibility to the lakes for ice fishing. My family has been fishing on Jackson Lake for over 60 years....it is a big part of our family bonding and traditions. My grandfather fished there, my parents, my kids and hopefully my grandkids. You cannot access these areas in a reasonable fashion without snowmobiles.

Bear #399, And Other Grizzlies, Are On the Prowl In Grand Teton National Park

Sep 29th - 03:47am | Anonymous

My daughters and I watched this bear and her cubs this past April and videoed them all, from a safe distance of course. Our video like so many others is now on YouTube. I just read today that she has kicked the cubs to the curb so to speak. The three young bears are on their own while their mom searches out a new mate. Let's hope the three kids don't get into any trouble.

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