The National Park Service's prime mandate is to preserve land. Of course they administer the "crown jewels," the places that pop into everyone's mind when they think of magnificent outdoor places: Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon. But there are only 54 national parks out of the more than 400 units that the NPS also oversees. There is a lot more to the national park system than national parks.

National Parks and Preserves
National parks are generally large natural places and at times include important historic assets, such as the ruins at Mesa Verde or even the carriage roads at Acadia. Hunting, mining, logging — even moss collecting — are not allowed. National preserves are areas having characteristics associated with national parks but in which some resource extraction is allowed. Many existing national preserves, without sport hunting, would qualify for national park designation. They may, in fact, be contiguous to a national park. Big Cypress and Denali National Preserve are examples of national preserves adjacent to a national park.

National Parks

National Monuments
National monuments are declared by the president — a great little perk that allows a conservation-minded president to preserve land in the face of a hostile congress. National monuments were originally thought to be singular landmarks, places such as Montana's Devils Tower or New York's Statue of Liberty. But some national monuments can cover vast areas.

To add a little confusion, President Clinton conferred national monument status on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The glorious Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is an example of this.

National Monuments

National Seashores and Lakeshores
Ten national seashores have been established on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts; some are developed and some relatively primitive. National lakeshores, all on the Great Lakes, closely parallel the seashores in character and use.

National Seashores and Lakeshores

National Recreation Areas
Twelve national recreation areas in the National Park system are centered on large reservoirs and 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.

National Recreation Areas