National Park Timeline
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National Park Timeline
The history of our National Park system and other federal lands began in 1790 when the District of Columbia was formed. This included what now is part of our park system; the White House, the National Mall, and the National Capital Parks. But it was not until Yellowstone was installed as a National Park on March 1, 1872 that you could truly say that the National Park System was founded. And it was a great founding. The National Park Timeline here will be organized by current park unit, in alphabetical order, and include the dates of formation, and any other changes that may have occurred.
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Dayton Aviation to Gulf Islands National Seashore
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National Park Timeline
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Other Park Notes
D
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park - Ohio, October 16, 1992
Death Valley National Park - California, February 11, 1933. Authorized as Death Valley National Monument, 1933.
Incorporated Death Valley Park, October 31, 1994.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - Pennsylvania and New Jersey, September 1, 1965
Denali National Park and Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Denali National Monument, 1978, and Mount McKinley National Park, February 26, 1917. Incorporated in Denali NP and Preserve by ANILCA, 1980.
DeSoto National Memorial - Florida, March 11, 1948
Devil's Postpipe National Monument - California, July 6, 1911
Devils Tower National Monument - Wyoming, September 24, 1890
Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado and Utah, October 4, 1915
Dry Tortugas National Park - Florida, January 4, 1935. Authorized as Fort Jefferson National Monument, 1935.
Redesignated Dry Tortugas National Park, 1992.
E
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve - Washington, November 10, 1978Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site - Pennsylvania, November 10, 1978
Edison National Historic Site - New Jersey, December 6, 1955. Authorized as Edison Home NHS, December 6, 1955, and Edison Laboratory NM, July 14, 1956. Incorporated in Edision NHS, September 5, 1962.
Effigy Mounds National Monument - Iowa, October 25, 1949
Eisenhower National Historic Site - Pennsylvania, November 27, 1967
El Malpais National Monument - New Mexico, December 31, 1987
El Morro National Monument - New Mexico, December 8, 1906
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - New York, May 26, 1977
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site - California, October 18, 1976
Everglades National Park - Florida, May 30, 1934
F
Federal Hall National Memorial - New York, May 26, 1939. Authorized as Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site, 1939. Redesignated Federal Hall National Memorial, 1955.Fire Island National Seashore - New York, September 11, 1964
First Ladies National Historic Site - Ohio, October 11, 2000
Flight 93 National Monument - Pennsylvania, September 24, 2002
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument - Colorado, August 20, 1969
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site - District of Columbia, April 7, 1866 - Originally acquired April 7,1866. Authorized as National Historic Site, 1970.
Fort Bowie National Historic Site - Arizona, August 30, 1964
Fort Caroline National Memorial - Florida, September 21, 1950
Fort Clatsop National Memorial - Oregon, May 29, 1958. Part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park as of October 30, 2004.
Fort Davis National Historic Site - Texas, September 8, 1961
Fort Donelson National Battlefield - Tennessee, March 26, 1928. Authorized as Fort Donelson National Military Park, 1928. Redesignated Fort Donelson National Battlefield, 1985.
Fort Frederica National Monument - Georgia, March 26, 1936
Fort Laramie National Historic Site - Wyoming, July 16, 1938. Authorized as Fort Laramie National Monument, 1938. Redesignated Fort Laramie National Historic Site, 1960.
Fort Larned National Historic Site - Kansas, August 31, 1964
Fort Matanzas National Monument - Florida, October 15, 1924
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Site - Maryland, March 3, 1925. Authorized as Fort McHenry National Park, 1925. Redesignated Fort McHenry NM and Historic Shrine, 1939.
Fort Monroe National Monument - Virginia, November 1, 2011.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield - Pennsylvania, March 4, 1931. Authorized as Fort Necessity National Battlefield Site, 1931. Redesignated Fort Necessity NB, 1961.
Fort Point National Historic Site - California, October 16, 1970
Fort Pulaski National Monument - Georgia, October 15, 1924
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site - North Carolina, April 5, 1941
Fort Scott National Historic Site - Kansas, October 19, 1978
Fort Smith National Historic Site - Arkansas, September 13, 1961
Fort Stanwix National Monument - New York, August 21, 1935 - Acquired 1973
Fort Sumter National Monument - South Carolina, April 28, 1948
Fort Union National Monument - New Mexico, June 28, 1954
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site - North Dakota and Montana, June 20, 1966
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site - Washington, June 19, 1948. Authorized as Fort Vancouver National Monument, 1948. Redesignated Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 1961.
Fort Washington Park - Maryland, May 29,1930
Fossil Butte National Monument - Wyoming, October 23, 1972
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial - District of Columbia, September 1, 1959. Authorized 1959. Dedicated 1997.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site - District of Columbia, September 5, 1962. Authorized as Frederick Douglass Home, 1962. Redesignated Frederick Douglass NHS, 1988.
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site - Massachusetts, October 12, 1979
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park - Virginia, February 14, 1927
Freedom Riders National Monument - Alabama, January 12, 2017.
Friendship Hill National Historic Site - Pennsylvania, November 10, 1978
G
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Gates of the Arctic National Monument, 1978. Incorporated in Gates of the Arctic NP and Preserve by ANILCA, 1980.Gateway National Recreation Area - New York and New Jersey. October 27, 1972
Gauley River National Recreation Area - West Virginia, December 26, 1988
General Grant National Memorial - New York, August 14, 1958
George Rogers Clark National Historic Park - Indiana May 23, 1928. Authorized as George Rogers Clark Memorial, 1928. Incorporated in George Rogers Clark NHP, July 23, 1966.
George Washington Birthplace National Monument - Virginia, January 26, 1930
George Washington Carver National Monument - Missouri, July 14, 1943
George Washington Memorial Parkway - Virginia and Maryland, May 23, 1928. Authorized as Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, May 23, 1928. Incorporated as George Washington Memorial Parkway, May 29, 1930.
Gettysburg National Military Park - Pennsylvania February 11, 1895
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument - New Mexico, November 16, 1907
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve - Alaska, February 26, 1925. Authorized as Glacier Bay National Monument, 1925, with additional lands added December 1, 1978. Both incorporated in Glacier Bay NP and Preserve by ANILCO, 1980.
Glacier National Park - Montana, May 11, 1910
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - Utah and Arizona, April 18, 1958
Golden Gate National Recreation Area - California, October 27, 1972
Golden Spike National Historic Site - Utah, July 30, 1965 - - Designated 1957.
Governor's Island National Monument - New York, January 20, 2001
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona, January 11, 1908. Authorized as Grand Canyon National Monument, 1908. Incorporated in Grand Canyon National Park, Feb. 26, 1919. Authorized Grand Canyon National Monument, Dec. 22, 1932. Authorized Marble Canyon National Monument, January 20, 1969. Incorporated various areas into NP, 1975.
Grand Portage National Monument - Minnesota, September 2, 1958. Authorized as National Monument, desgnated a NHS in 1951.
Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming, February 26, 1929. Authorized as Grand Teton NP, 1929, and Jackson Hole NM, March 15, 1943. Incorporated as Grand Teton NP, September 14, 1950.
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site - Montana, August 25, 1972
Great Basin National Park - Nevada, January 24, 1922. Authorized as Lehman Caves National Monument, 1922. Incorporated in Great Basin NP, October 27, 1986.
Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River - New Jersey, October 27, 1992
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Colorado, March 17, 1932. Authorized as Great Sand Dunes National Monument, 1932. Great Sand Dunes National Preserve added November 22, 2000. Redesignated NP and Preserve, September 24, 2004.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - North Carolina and Tennessee, May 22, 1926
Greenbelt Park - Maryland, August 3, 1950
Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Texas, October 15, 1966
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park - North Carolina, March 2, 1917
Gulf Islands National Seashore - Florida and Mississippi, January 8, 1971. Santa Rose Island National Monument established May 17, 1939, and abolished in 1946. Island included in Gulf Islands National Seashore, 1971.
History Photo Bomb
Ellis Island. Courtesy Library of Congress.
Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg.
Grand Canyon National Park.
Established Fossil Cycad National Monument, South Dakota on October 21, 1922, and abolished in 1956. Established Father Millet Cross National Monument, New York, on September 5, 1925, and abolished in 1949. Established Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, Utah and Wyoming, on July 22, 1963. Transferrred to Forest Service in 1968. Some additional changes post 2003 have not yet been added to the list.
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