Small Wonders: The 12 Teeniest National Park Sites

Donate! FEATURED PARKS Small Wonders: The 12 Teeniest National Park Sites National Park Service photo National parks encompass vast wilderness areas and grand landscapes, yet so many of America’s greatest treasures come in much smaller packages. Twelve national park sites measure less than one acre each, though they share enormous stories of struggle, leadership, tragedy, and creative spirit. Here are the teeniest spots, from largest to smallest. View the slideshow » TOP STORIES Painting by Albert Bierstadt The “Outrageous Evil” behind the Birth of the National Park Service Last week, the National Park Service celebrated its 99th birthday. Though we celebrate this milestone as a visionary accomplishment in U.S. history, it took losing a major environmental fight to win support for this inspirational public lands system. NPCA President and CEO Clark Bunting reflects on the battle to preserve America’s greatest places, and how you can Find Your Voice to keep them thriving into their next century. Learn more » © Cory MacNulty/NPCA Trophy Homes and Mini-Marts Inside Park Boundaries? Sometimes national parks are established with pockets of private land within their borders. If the owners of these lands sell their property, it opens the risk of inappropriate development, such as a recent trophy home in the picturesque canyons of Zion National Park. Fortunately, the Land and Water Conservation Fund maintained by Congress helps to purchase vulnerable lands from willing sellers. This fund has been protecting parks for 50 years, but will soon expire. Please ask Congress to renew its support for the fund! Take action » © Vanessa Mazal/NPCA Why Are We Neglecting One of Our Country’s Greatest Rivers? The Colorado River and its tributaries pass through seven states and carve out the central features of 11 national parks. Its waters support diverse habitat for rare and special wildlife like endangered Canada lynx, desert bighorn sheep, and numerous species that aren’t found anywhere else. Yet overuse and climate change are straining the Colorado to the breaking point, due in part to archaic laws. Here’s why NPCA is fighting to keep parks in the debate over water rights in the Southwest. Learn more » TRIVIA CHALLENGE Photo by Spencer, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons A Stockpile of Cold War History Numerous national park sites commemorate military engagements. Only one specifically interprets the history of the standoff that estranged two superpowers for more than four decades and threatened the future of life on Earth: the Cold War. Can you name this national park site? Get the answer » #MakeANaturalDifference with Smucker’s® Natural Peanut Butter  Blogger Aimee Shugarman of Shugary Sweets volunteered at NPCA's Find Your Voice event at Pullman National Monument this summer. After spending the day cleaning up and landscaping Chicago's first national park, Aimee was inspired to create a simple recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies. She stated, "In an effort to stay true to NPCA and Smucker's to 'make a natural difference,' I thought it would be fun to keep this recipe simple, natural, and delicious!" Learn more » © Ben Sander/NPCA Travel with NPCA Check Out Our Expanded 2016 Tour Schedule  Check a few more national parks off your list in 2016! Join one of NPCA’s small-group tours in partnership with Off the Beaten Path, offering over 80 excursions to places like American Samoa, Denali, Big Bend, and Acadia—as well as selected parks of the world, including Los Glaciares in Patagonia and Rapa Nui on Easter Island. Get full trip details » A Simple Way to Plan Your Legacy for Parks  Did you know that you can provide generous support for NPCA's park protection work by simply updating a beneficiary form with your financial services provider for IRAs, life insurance policies, bonds, or other investments? Senior Director of Gift Planning Morgan Dodd can help you achieve your philanthropic goals—reach him at 1-877-468-5775 or mdodd@npca.org. Learn more »   National Parks Magazine Want more in-depth national park news? Read NPCA’s award-winning National Parks magazine. Read more »   Quote of the Month "The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer   Park Notes is a publication of the National Parks Conservation Association National Parks Conservation Association © 2014 All rights reserved 777 6th Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20001-3723 800.NAT.PARK npca@npca.org Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter Instagram

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