RSM 200: Fundamentals of National Parks and Their System
Understanding National Parks: RSM 200 Overview
What is a National Park?
When considering the phrase "National Park," images of natural beauty, wildlife, history, preservation, and recreational opportunities often come to mind.
The Twofold Purpose of National Parks
National Parks serve a dual fundamental purpose:
Preservation: To safeguard and maintain areas of significant scenic, historical, scientific, and cultural importance for future generations.
Public Access & Education: To ensure these preserved areas are accessible and available for the enjoyment and educational enrichment of the public.
Criteria for a Potential National Park
For an area to be considered as a potential National Park, it should meet several specific qualifications:
It must be an outstanding example of a particular type of resource, showcasing exceptional characteristics.
It should possess exceptional value or quality in its ability to illustrate or interpret the natural or cultural themes significant to our Nation’s heritage.
It needs to offer superlative opportunities for recreation, public use and enjoyment, or for crucial scientific study.
The area must retain a high degree of integrity, meaning it should be a true, accurate, and relatively unspoiled example of the resource it represents.
The National Park System: An Overview
As of August 2025, the National Park System comprises a grand total of 433 units.
Types of National Park System Units
The National Park System includes a diverse range of designations, each tailored to specific types of resources and purposes:
National Parks (63 total units):
These are often referred to as the "Crown jewels" of the National Park Service (NPS).
Example: Yellowstone National Park (spanning ID/WY/MT).
Purpose: They protect areas with outstanding natural features and ecological resources.
Focus: Primarily preserved for recreational, educational, historical, or cultural purposes.
Restrictions: Activities such as hunting, mining, and other consumptive activities are generally not authorized within National Parks.
National Battlefields (11 total units):
Example: Cowpens National Battlefield, SC.
Purpose: Commemorate the locations of significant military actions.
Historical Note: In 1958, an NPS committee recommended "National Battlefield" as the singular title for all such park lands.
National Battlefield Parks (4 total units):
Example: Kennesaw Mountain, GA.
National Battlefield Site (1 total unit):
Example: Brices Cross Roads, MS.
National Military Parks (9 total units):
Example: Gettysburg, PA.
National Historic Parks (64 total units):
Example: Harpers Ferry, WV/MD.
Purpose: Preserve structures of historic interest that extend beyond a single building or property, encompassing larger areas.
National Historic Sites (75 total units):
Example: Ford’s Theater, D.C.
Purpose: Protect a single historical feature that is highly representative of its subject matter.
Origin: These sites are largely derived from the Historic Sites Act of (1935).
International Historic Sites (1 total unit):
Example: St. Croix Island, ME.
Historical Significance: Marks an early attempt at French colonization in (1604).
National Lakeshores (3 total units):
Example: Indiana Dunes, IN.
Purpose: Focus on preserving lakefront areas (all located on the Great Lakes) with an emphasis on recreation.
Note: Indiana Dunes was redesignated as the 61^{st} National Park in (2019).
National Memorials (31 total units):
Example: Wright Brothers National Memorial, NC.
Purpose: Structures built specifically to commemorate significant people or events.
Note: The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was redesignated as Gateway Arch National Park in (2018).
National Monuments (87 total units):
Example: Muir Woods, CA.
Purpose: Protect historic or scientific landmarks, often designated by presidential proclamation through the Antiquities Act of (1906).
National Parkways (4 total units):
Example: Blue Ridge Parkway, NC.
Purpose: Consist of scenic roadways accompanied by parallel parklands, designed for recreational driving and access to natural beauty.
National Preserves (19 total units):
Example: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, KS.
Allowed Activities: These areas often permit activities like hunting, trapping, and resource extraction, which are typically restricted in National Parks.
National Reserves (2 total units):
Example: City of Rocks National Reserve, ID.
Characteristics: Similar in nature to national preserves, often allowing for certain resource uses.
National Recreation Areas (18 total units):
Example: Amistad National Recreation Area, TX.
Purpose: Primarily large reservoirs offering water-based recreation.
Additional Function: 5 of these areas combine limited urban open space with the preservation of significant historical or natural sites.
National Rivers (4 total units):
Example: Buffalo National River, AR.
Purpose: Designated to preserve rivers under the protection of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of (1968).
National River and Recreation Areas (18 total units).
National Wild & Scenic Rivers and Riverways (10 total units):
Example: Niobrara River, NE.
National Scenic Trails & Historic Trails (3 total units):
Example: Appalachian Trail, ME - GA.
Length: Approximately 3,600 miles of linear parklands.
Establishment: Created by the National Trails System Act of (1968).
National Seashores (10 total units):
Example: Cape Cod National Seashore, MA.
Purpose: Protect coastal areas with a strong focus on recreation and natural coastal processes.
Affiliated Areas (25 total units):
Description: These are significant natural or cultural areas located within the U.S. and Canada that receive financial support from the NPS but are not officially managed as direct units of the National Park System.
Other Designations (11 total units):
Examples: The White House, National Mall, Prince William Forest Park.
National Park Service Units in South Carolina
South Carolina hosts a variety of National Park Service units, preserving key natural and historical elements:
Congaree National Park: The largest remaining remnant of old-growth floodplain forest on the continent.
Cowpens National Battlefield
Kings Mountain National Military Park
National Monuments: Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie
National Historic Sites: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Ninety Six National Historic Site
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor