The US boasts 401 National Parks, the most renowned being the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Park and Glacier Park at Big Bend. The history of the National Parks dates back to 1872, when President Grant entrusted Yellowstone to the National Park Service. It was a pioneering policy of environmental protection aimed at preserving biodiversity and transmitting a natural heritage to future generations. With Indian reserves, old mining sites, pre-Columbian ruins, and ghost towns, the National Parks are an American treasure and offer a unique playground for hiking, camping, and other outdoor aficionados, as well as for more refined travelers.

The Parks by the numbers:

+ 84,000,000 acres of land
+ 4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
+ 68,561 archeological sites
+ 43,162 miles of shoreline
+ 27,000 historic structures
+ 2,461 national historic landmarks
+ 582 national natural landmarks
+ 49 national heritage areas