design: Cris Ropero Montoya
Under the National Park System, there are 63 sites in the United States labeled as “national parks”, and these include some of the most famous parks in the nation: Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and many more. However, even on top of the 63 national parks, there are hundreds of more locations under the NPS across the nation.
With over 400 total sites in the NPS, there is a lot on the table to see. When it comes to each different location, some may be more interested in natural beauty while others may be looking for history and meaning. Either way, the preservation of all sites alike is something that we should be more grateful for. Various types of pollution are already affecting the world around us, which includes our national parks. Similarly, just as we are in control of protecting the land of national parks, we could do more to control pollution that is harming the environments of parks across the country.
When the National Park System was created, money was not the main objective; it was simply preservation. That’s why even today, most national parks are either free or have a fairly small fee to get in, and this fee usually contributes to the park’s further development and preservation, which was exactly what the founders of the NPS were striving for.
Every site under the NPS has something unique to offer; however, the ones labeled as “national parks” do generally resonate more with the public with good reason. They are usually the largest sites in terms of area, and they typically just have more to do on site.
On average, there is over one national park per state in the United States. So, even while most of us aren’t dedicated to traveling nor are able to visit even close to every national park, there is almost definitely at least one within a road trip distance of most people. For Ohioans, there is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located between Akron and Cleveland.
Cuyahoga is one of the nation’s newest national parks, only becoming recognized as one in 2000. With activities ranging from hikes on nature paths that include waterfalls to riding on a locomotive train, the park isn’t too shabby for being located right in the middle of two of the state’s largest urban areas.
Because of its location, Cuyahoga receives over two million visitors every year, according to the National Park Service. Many of us might not find it the most interesting or attractive, at least compared to Yellowstone or many of the more famous parks, but the convenience of national parks definitely factors into their popularity as well.
There is a certain beauty about national parks when compared to state or metropolitan parks. Even if they may not be as naturally beautiful or historically appealing as some lower tier parks (i.e. Cuyahoga compared to Hocking Hills), there is a sense of connection when visiting a national park. The thought that the park purely exists because of its uniqueness of some sort, and the fact that it’s recognized not by one state or another as special but by the whole country—that is what makes them beautiful. That is why, going into the future, we need to do everything we can to protect the environment and save our national parks.
