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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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Sagamore Hill to Zion National Park
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National Park Timeline
S
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site - New York, July 25, 1962Saguaro National Park - Arizona, March 1, 1933. Authorized as Saguaro National Monument, 1933. Redesignated Saguaro National Park, 1994.
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site - Maine, September 25, 1984.
Saint Croix National Scenic River - Minnesota and Wisconsin, October 2, 1968
Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site - New York, November 10, 1978. Designated 1943.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site - New Hampshire, August 31, 1964
Salem Maritime National Historic Site - Massachusetts, March 17, 1938
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument - New Mexico, December 19, 1980. Authorized Gran Quivira National Monument, 1909. Incorporated in Salinas Missions NM, December 19, 1980. Renamed Salinas Pueblo Missions, 1988.
Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve - Virgin Islands, February 24, 1992
San Antonio Missions National Historic Park - Texas, November 10, 1978
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site - Colorado, April 27, 2007
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park - California, June 27, 1988. Formerly part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
San Juan Islands National Historic Park - Washington, September 9, 1966
San Juan National Historic Site - Puerto Rico, February 14, 1949
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - California, November 10, 1978
Saratoga National Historic Park - New York, June 1, 1938
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site - Massachusetts, April 5, 1968
Scotts Bluff National Monument - Nebraska, December 12, 1919
Sequoia National Park - California, September 25, 1890
Shenadoah National Park - Virginia, May 22, 1926
Shiloh National Military Park - Tennessee, December 27, 1894
Sitka National Historic Park - Alaska, March 23, 1910. Authorized as National Monument, 1910. Redesignated as National Historic Park, 1972.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Michigan, October 21, 1969
Springfield Armory National History Site - Massachusetts, October 26, 1974
Statue of Liberty National Monument - New Jersey and New York, March 3, 1877. Dedicated 1886. Designated a National Monument, 1924.
Steamtown National Historic Site - Pennsylvania, October 21, 1986
Stones River National Battlefield - Tennessee, March 3, 1927. Authorized as Stones River National Military Park, 1927. Redesignated Stones River National Battlefield, 1980.
Stonewall National Monument - New York, June 24, 2016.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument - Arizona, May 26, 1930. Authorized as Sunset Crater National Monument, 1930. Redesignated Sunset Crater Volcano NM, 1990.
T
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve - Kansas, November 12, 1996Thaddeus Koscieuszko National Memorial - Pennsylvania, October 21, 1972
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site - New York, July 25, 1962
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site - New York, November 2, 1966
Theodore Roosevelt Island - District of Columbia, May 21, 1932
Theodore Roosevelt National Park - North Dakota, April 25, 1947. Authorized as Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park, 1947. Redesignated Theodore Roosevelt NP, 1978.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial - District of Columbia, June 26, 1934. Dedicated 1943.
Thomas Stone National Historic Site - Maryland, November 10, 1978
Timpanogos Cave Historic Monument - Utah, October 14, 1922
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve - Florida, February 16, 1988
Tonto National Monument - Arizona, December 19, 1907
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument - Nevada, December 19, 2014.
Tumacacori National Historic Park - Arizona, September 16, 1908. Authorized as as Tumacacori National Monument, 1908. Redesignated Tumacacori NHP, August 6, 1990.
Tupelo National Battlefield - Mississippi, February 21, 1929. Authorized as Tupelo National Battlefield Site, 1929. Redesignated Tupelo National Battlefied, 1961
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site - Alabama, November 6, 1998
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site - Alabama, October 26, 1974 Tuziggot National Monument Arizona July 25, 1939
Tuzigoot National Monument - Arizona, July 25, 1939.
U
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site - Missouri, October 2, 1989Upper Delaware Scenic and Wild River - Pennsylvania and New York, November 10, 1978
V
Valles Caldera National Preserve - New Mexico, July 25, 2000, transferred to the National Park Service on October 10, 2015.Valley Forge National Historic Park - Pennsylvania, July 4, 1976
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site - New York, December 18, 1940
Vicksburg National Military Park - Mississippi, February 21, 1899
Vietnam Veterans Memorial - District of Columbia, July 1, 1980 - Dedicated 1982
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument - Virgin Islands, January 17, 2001
Virgin Islands National Park - Virgin Islands, August 2, 1956
Voyageaurs National Park - Minnesota, January 8, 1971
W
Waco Mammoth National Monument - Texas, July 10, 2015.Walnut Canyon National Monument - Arizona, November 30, 1915
War in the Pacific National Historic Park - Guam, August 18, 1978
Washington Monument - District of Columbia, August 2, 1876. Dedicated 1885.
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site - Oklahoma, November 12, 1996
Weir Farm National Historic Site - Connecticut, October 31, 1990
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area - California, May 31, 1962. Authorized as Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA, 1962.
White House - District of Columbia, July 17, 1790. Originally authorized as part of District of Columbia with the White House, Capital Parks, and National Mall, July 17, 1790. On the grounds of President's Park.
White Sands National Monument - New Mexico, January 18, 1933
Whitman Mission National Historic Site - Washington, June 29, 1936. Authorized as Whitman National Monument, 1936. Redesignated Whitman Mission National Historic Site, 1963.
William Howard Taft National Historic Site - Ohio, December 2, 1969
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield - Missouri, April 22, 1960. Authorized as Wilson's Creek Battlefield National Park, 1960. Redesignated Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, 1970.
Wind Cave National Park - South Dakota, January 9, 1903
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts - Virginia, October 15, 1966
Women's Rights National Historic Park - New York, December 28, 1980
World War I Memorial - Washington, D.C., January 14, 2013 approved, but not yet built. Design phase within Pershing Park.
World War II Memorial - District of Columbia, May 29, 2004
World War II Valor in the Pacific (USS Arizona) National Monument - Hawaii, Alaska, California. USS Arizona Memorial September 9, 1980; National Monument designated December 5, 2008.
Wrangell St-Elias National Park and Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Wrangell St. Elias National Monument, 1978. Incorporated in Wrangell St. Elias NP and Preserve, 1980.
Wright Brothers National Memorial - North Carolina, March 2, 1927. Authorized as Kill Devil Hill Monument, 1927. Redesignated Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1953.
Wupatki National Monument - Arizona, December 9, 1924
Y
Yellowstone National Park (1st National Park) - Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, March 1, 1872Yosemite National Park - California, October 1, 1890. Yosemite State Park founded June 30, 1864 and incorporated into National Park in 1906.
Yucca House National Monument - Colorado, December 12, 1919
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Yukon-Charley National Monument, 1978. Redesignated Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, 1980.
Z
Zion National Park - Utah, July 31, 1909. Authorized as Mukuntuweap National Monument, 1909. Authorized Zion National Monument, March 18, 1918. Mukuntuweap NM and Zion NM incorporated in Zion NP, 1919. Other section authorized as Zion National Monument, January 22, 1937, and incorporated in Zion NP, 1956.National Park Timeline (Other)
History Photo Bomb
White Sands National Monument. Courtesy National Park Service.
Siege of Vicksburg. Courtesy Library of Congress.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Courtesy National Park Service.
Sully's Hill National Park, ND, authorized on April 27, 1904.
Transferred to Agriculture Department as game preserve, 1931.
Wheeler National Monument, Colorado, established December 7, 1908 and abolished 1950. Shoshone Cavern National Monument, Wyoming established September 21, 1909 and abolished 1954.
Verendrye National Monument, North Dakota, established June 29, 1917, and abolished in 1956. Shasta Lake Recreation Area, California, established May 22, 1945, and transferred to the Forest Service, 1948. Saint Croix Island National Monument, Maine, established June 8, 1949, and redesignated an International Historic Site, 1984. Shadow Mountain Recreation Area, Colorado, established June 27, 1952, and transferred to the Forest Service, 1979.
