About the Parks
Definitions for National Park System Units
There are many different kinds of parks and areas within the National Park System. The variety can be confusing. Many names and types are descriptive, such as lakeshores, seashores, and battlefields. Many others, such as the White House and Wolf Trap National Park for The Performing Arts, cannot be neatly categorized.
To help you make sense of the system, here is a list of park designations, definitions, and allowed activities.
Affiliated Area | International Historic Site | National Battlefield | National Cemetery | National Heritage Area | National Historical Park | National Historic Site | National Historic Trail | National Lakeshore | National Memorial | National Monument | National Park | National Parkway | National Preserve | National Recreation Area | National Reserve | National River | National Scenic Trail | National Seashore | Other Designation
Affiliated Area
view these units
In an Act of August 18, 1970, the National Park System was defined in law as, "any area of land and water now or hereafter administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the National Park Service for park, monument, historic, parkway, recreational or other purposes." The Affiliated Areas comprise a variety of locations in the United States and Canada that preserve significant properties outside the National Park System. Some of these have been recognized by Acts of Congress, others have been designated national historic sites by the Secretary of the Interior under authority of the Historic Sites Act of 1935. All draw on technical or financial aid from the National Park Service.
International Historic Site
view these units
There is one international historic site in the system, the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Maine.
National Battlefield (Includes National Battlefield, National Battlefield Park, National Battlefield Site, and National Military Park)
view these units
The general title of National Battlefield includes national battlefield, national battlefield park, national battlefield site, and national military park. This wide variety of titles are all related by their connection to area associated with American military history. In 1958, an NPS committee recommended national battlefield as the single title for all such park lands, but that suggestion didn't seem to stick!
National Cemetery
There are 14 national cemeteries in the National Park System, all of which are administered in conjunction with an associated unit and are not accounted for separately.
National Heritage Area
view these areas
National Heritage Areas are places where natural, cultural, historic, and recreational elements come together to form a cohesive, nationally distinct landscape. The results are landscapes shaped by human activity. National Heritage Areas are representative of the national experience through the physical features that remain and the traditions that evolved in the area.
National Historical Park
view these units
This designation generally applies to historic parks that extend beyond single properties or buildings.
National Historic Site
view these units
Usually, a national historic site contains a single historical feature that was directly associated with a person or family of historical significance. These areas may also be associated with specific historic periods that are important in American history. Derived from the Historic Sites Act of 1935, a number of historic sites were established by secretaries of the Interior, but most have been authorized by acts of Congress.
National Historic Trail
view these units
National historic trails are long-distance footpaths authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968. National historic trails tend to pass through or along areas of historic signifigance.
National Lakeshore
view these units
National lakeshores are parks devoted to preserving natural resources as well as providing water-based recreation. All of the national lakeshores are on the shores of the Great Lakes and are very similar to the national seashores in character and use.
National Memorial
view these units
A national memorial commemorates a historic person or episode. However, unlike a National Historic Site, it need not occupy a historically significant location or a spot that is closely associated with person or event.
National Monument
view these units
The designation of national monument has been applied to a variety of sites with the park system. It has been used for historic military fortifications, prehistoric ruins, fossil sites, and even the Statue of Liberty.
The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorized the President of the United States to declare by public proclamation landmarks, structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest situated on lands owned or controlled by the government to be national monuments. Some of these are in the National Park System; others are located in other agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management. The National Park Services administers 73 national monuments.
National Park
view these units
These are generally large natural places having a wide variety of features, at times including significant historic assets. Hunting, mining, and or any activities that “consume” park resources are not authorized in national parks.
National Parkway
view these units
The title parkway refers to a roadway and the parkland paralleling the roadway. All were intended for scenic motoring along a protected corridor and often connect cultural sites.
National Preserve
view these units
National preserves are areas having characteristics associated with national parks, but in which Congress has permitted continued public hunting, trapping, or oil and gas exploration and extraction. Many existing national preserves, without sport hunting, would qualify for national park designation. Many parks in Alaska fall into the category of national preserve.
National Recreation Area
view these units
There are twelve national recreation areas in the national park system centered on large reservoirs created by dams built by other federal agencies. Today the national recreation areas emphasize water-based recreation. Five other NRAs are located near major population centers. Such urban parks combine scarce open spaces with the preservation of significant historic resources and important natural areas in location that can provide outdoor recreation for large numbers of people.
National Reserve
view these units
National reserves are similar to national preserves.
National River
view these units
There are several variations to this category: national river and recreation area, national scenic river, wild river, etc. The first was authorized in 1964 and others were established following passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. These areas preserves land along the edges of free-flowing rivers and streams and also provide opportunities for hiking, canoeing, and hunting.
National Scenic Trail
view these units
National scenic trails are long-distance footpaths authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968. National scenic trails usually pass through or along areas of great scenic beauty.
National Seashore
view these units
Ten national seashores have been established on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts; some are developed and some are relatively primitive. Hunting is allowed at many of these sites.
Other Designation
view these units
Some units of the National Park System bear unique titles or combinations of titles, like the White House and Prince William Forest Park. Parks that don’t fit into the types above receive the rather unglamorous “Other Designation” but they are no less important than the other parks.
Source: InfoUSA (U.S. Department of State) and The National Parks: Index 2005-2007 (National Park Service)
