Midwest
The national park sites of the Midwest are steeped in history, wrapped in the fabric of American culture, and spectacular in their natural beauty.
From the origins of the Underground Railroad to the Gateway Arch symbolizing Western expansion, our nation's history comes alive. The natural wonders of the Midwest are as varied as the landscape. There are dramatic sandstone cliffs, shifting sand dunes, and many islands filled with native wildlife in the Great Lakes. Thousands of acres of tallgrass prairie and scenic riverways wind throughout the region.
Opened in the fall of 2007, NPCA’s Midwest regional office strives to build support for the many diverse national park sites throughout the region. Like many sites across the country, the Midwest parks face threats from pollution and under-funding. The wildlife in the parks of the Great Lakes, like Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park, are also especially vulnerable to the effects of aquatic invasive species.
The Midwest is home to great urban national parks like Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis; Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in St. Paul; and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore outside of Chicago. Being in close proximity to large cities provides not only unique challenges for these parks but great opportunity and a wealth of community support as well. The Midwest office of NPCA works to connect people to these wonderful urban national parks.
See a list of national parks in the Midwest Region > >
Threats:
- Air pollution is a threat in many parks, especially in Voyageurs and Isle Royale
- Invasive species threaten our parks and wildlife, specifically in the parks of the Great Lakes
- Underfunding remains an issue for park infrastructure, operations and land acquisition.
- New diseases threaten the fish and wildlife in regional parks
