National Parks
Federally preserved lands
National parks are areas of natural or cultural significance set aside by governments for preservation and public enjoyment.
The land is protected from development, hunting, and resource extraction.
In the United States, the National Park Service manages dozens of parks including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon.
Many countries maintain similar systems: We visited three national parks on our road trip through Canada.
- heritage sitesOfficially protected cultural locations
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- hikingRecreational trail walking
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- indigenous historyPast of original inhabitants
flora · old growth forest · camping · bear safety · sustainability · ecosystem · wildlife corridors · archaeological sites · biodiversity · fauna · funding · habitat · folklore · campfire stories · endangered species · trails · sightseeing · monuments
National Parksprivate land
Individually owned real estate
private property · industrial zones · strip mines · commercial districts · oil fields
National Parksconcrete jungle
Dense cityscape, few parks
city · metropolis · urban centers · industrial parks · suburban sprawl
National Parksmining operations
Extracting minerals from earth
oil fields · strip mines · factory farms · commercial exploitation · resource extraction
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