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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Abraham Lincoln Birthplace to Cuyahoga Valley
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National Park Timeline
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Other Park Notes
A
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site - Kentucky, July 17, 1916. Authorized as Abraham Lincoln National Park, 1916. Redesignated NHP 1939, then Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, 1959.
Acadia National Park - Maine, July 8, 1916. Authorized as Dieur de Monte National Monument, 1916. Redesignated as
Lafayette National Park, 1919. Redesignated Acadia National Park, 1929.
Adams National Historic Park - Massachusetts, December 9, 1946.
Authorized as Adams Mansion National Historic Site, 1946.
Redesignated Adams National Historic Site, 1952. Redesignated Adams National Historic Park, 1998.
African Burial Ground National Monument - New York, February 27, 2006
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument - Nebraska, June 5, 1965
Alagnak Wild River - Alaska, December 2, 1980
Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) - Alaska, December 2, 1980
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument - Texas, August 31, 1965. Authorized as Alibates Flint Quarries and Texas Panhandle Pueblo Culture NM, 1965. Redesgnated Alibates Flint Quarries NM, 1978.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site - Pennsylvania, August 31, 1964
Amistad National Recreation Area - Texas, November 11, 1965. Authorized as Amistad Recreation Area, 1965. Redesignated Amistad NRA, 1990.
Andersonville National Historic Site - Georgia, October 16, 1970
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site - Tennessee, August 29, 1935. Authorized as Andrew Johnson National Monument, 1935.
Redesignated Andrew Johnson NHS, 1963.
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Aniakchak National Monument, 1978. Incorporated in Aniakchak NM and Preserve by ANILCA 1980.
Antietam National Battlefield - Maryland, August 30, 1890. Authorized as National Battlefield Site, changed to National Battlefield, 1978.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Wisconsin, September 26, 1970
Appalachian National Scenic Trail - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia. October 2, 1968
Appomattox Court House National Historic Park - Virginia, June 18, 1930. Authorized as Appomattox Court House monument, 1930. Redesignated Appomattox Court House National Historical Monument, 1935. Redesignated a National Historic Park 1954.
Arches National Park - Utah, April 12, 1929. Authorized as Arches National Monument, 1929. Redesignated Arches National Park, 1978.
Arkansas Post National Memorial - Arkansas, July 6, 1960
Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial - Virginia, March 4, 1925. Restoration authorized as Lee Mansion, 1925. Designated Custis-Lee Mansion 1955. Redesignated Arlington House, the
Robert E. Lee Memorial, 1972.
Assateague Island National Seashore - Maryland and Virginia, September 21, 1965
Aztec Ruins National Monument - New Mexico, January 24, 1923. Authorized as Aztec Ruin National Monument, 1923. Redesignated Aztec Ruins NM, 1928.
B
Badlands National Park - South Dakota, March 4, 1929. Authorized as Badlands National Monument, 1929. Redesignated Badlands National Park, 1978.
Bandelier National Monument - New Mexico, February 11, 1916
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument - Washington, D.C., April 12, 2016.
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site - Colorado, June 3, 1960
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve - Alaska, December 1, 1978. Authorized as Bering Land Bridge National Monument, 1978. Redesignated Bering National Preserve by ANILCA 1980.
Big Bend National Park - Texas, June 20, 1935
Big Cypress National Preserve - Florida, October 11, 1974
Big Hole National Battlefield - Montana, June 23, 1910. Authorized as Big Hole Battlefield National, 1910. Redesignated Big Hole National Battlefield, 1963.
Big South Fork National Recreation Area - Kentucky and Tennessee, March 7, 1974
Big Thicket National Preserve - Texas, October 11, 1974
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area - Wyoming and Montana, December 31, 1964
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument - Birmingham, Alabama, January 11, 2017.
Biscayne National Park - Florida, October 18, 1968.
Authorized as Biscayne National Monument, 1968. Incorporated in Biscayne NP, June 28, 1980.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Colorado, March 2, 1933. Authorized as Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, 1933. Redesignated Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, 1999.
Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park - Rhode Island/Massachusetts, December 19, 2014.
Blue Ridge Parkway - North Carolina and Virginia, June 16, 1933
Bluestone National Recreation Area - West Virginia, December 26, 1988
Booker T. Washington National Monument - Virginia, April 2, 1956
Boston African American National Historic Site - Massachusetts, October 10, 1980
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area - Massachusetts, November 12, 1996
Boston National Historic Park - Massachusetts, October 1, 1974
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield - Mississippi, February 21, 1929
Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site - Kansas, October 26, 1992
Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah, June 8, 1923. Authorized as Bryce Canyon National Monument, 1923. Redesignated Utah National Park, 1924. Name changed to current in 1928.
Buck Island Reef National Monument - Virgin Islands, December 28, 1961
Buffalo National River - Arkansas, March 1, 1972
C
Cabrillo National Monument - California, October 14, 1913
Canaveral National Seashore Florida January 3, 1975
Cane River Creole National Historic Park Louisiana November 2, 1994
Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Arizona, February 14, 1931
Canyonlands National Park - Utah, September 12, 1964
Cape Cod National Seashore - Massachusetts, August 7, 1961
Cape Hatteras National Seashore - North Carolina, August 17, 1937
Cape Krusenstern National Monument - Alaska, December 1, 1978
Cape Lookout National Seashore - North Carolina, March 10, 1966
Capitol Reef National Park - Utah, August 2, 1937. Authorized as Capital Reef National Monument, 1937. Redesignated Capital Reef National Park, 1971.
Capulin Volcano National Monument - New Mexico, August 9, 1916.
Authorized as Capulin Mountain National Monument, 1916.
Redesignated Capulin Volcano NM 1987.
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site - North Carolina, October 17, 1968
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico, October 25, 1923. Authorized as Carlsbad Cave National Monument, 1923. Redesignated Carlsbad Caverns National Park, 1930.
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site - District of Columbia, February 27, 2006
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - Arizona, March 2, 1889. Authorized as Casa Grande Ruin Reservation, 1889. Redesignated Casas Grande National Monument 1918. Redesignated Casas Grande Ruins National Monument 1926.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - Florida October 15, 1924. Authorized as Fort Marion National Monument, 1924. Redesignated Castillo de San Marcos NM, 1942.
Castle Clinton National Monument - New York, August 12, 1946
Catoctin Mountain Park - Maryland, November 14, 1936. Authorized as Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, 1936.
Redesignated Catoctin Mountain Park, 1954.
Cedar Breaks National Monument - Utah, August 22, 1933
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park - Virginia December 19, 2002
Chaco Culture National Historic Park - New Mexico, March 11, 1907. Incorporated Chaco Canyon National Monument 1907.
Redesignated Chaco Culture NHP, December 19, 1980. Chamizal National Memorial Texas June 30, 1966
Chamizal National Memorial - Texas, February 4, 1974.
Channel Islands National Park - California, April 26, 1938. Authorized as Channel Islands National Monument, 1938. Incorporated as Channel Islands NP, March 5, 1980.
Charles Pinckney National Historic Site - South Carolina, September 8, 1988
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument - Ohio, March 25, 2013.
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area - Georgia, August 15, 1978
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park - Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, September 23, 1938. Acquired 1938. Designated National Monument, 1961. Redesignated Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP, January 8, 1971.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park - Georgia and
Tennessee, August 19, 1890
Chickasaw National Recreation Area - Oklahoma, July 1, 1902. Authorized as Sulphur Springs Reservation in 1902.
Redesignated Platt National Park, 1906. Arbuckle National Recreation Area authorized February 1, 1965. Incorporated Arbuckle NRA and Platt NP in Chicasaw NRA, March 17, 1976.
Chiricahua National Monument - Arizona, April 18, 1924
Christiansted National Historic Site - Virgin Islands, March 4, 1952. Authorized as Virgin Islands National Historic Site, 1952. Redesignated Christiansted National Historic Site, 1961.
City of Rocks National Reserve - Idaho, November 18, 1988
Clara Barton National Historic Site - Maryland, October 26, 1974
Colonial National Historic Park - Virginia, July 3, 1930. Authorized as Colonial National Monument, 1930.
Redesignated Colonial National Historic Park, 1936.
Colorado National Monument - Colorado, May 24, 1911
Congaree National Park - South Carolina, October 18, 1976.
Authorized as Congaree Swamp National Park, 1976. Incorporated Congaree Swamp NP to Congaree NP, November 10, 2003.
Constitution Gardens - Washington, D.C., 1982.
Coronado National Memorial - Arizona, July 9, 1952
Cowpens National Battlefield - South Carolina, March 4, 1929.
Authorized as Cowpens National Battlefield Site, 1929.
Redesignated Cowpens National Battlefield, 1972.
Crater Lake National Park - Oregon, May 22, 1902
Craters of the Moon National Monument - Idaho, May 2, 1924. Additional lands established August 21, 2002
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park - Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, June 11, 1940
Cumberland Island National Seashore - Georgia, October 23, 1972
Curecanti National Recreation Area - Colorado, February 2, 1965
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Ohio, December 27, 1974
Cesar Chavez National Monument - California, October 8, 2012
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Castle Pinckney National Monument, South Carolina established October 15, 1924, and abolished in 1956. Atlanta Campaign National Historic Site, Georgia established October 13, 1944, and abolished in 1950. Constitution Gardens established August 1, 1974. Some additional changes post 2003 have not yet been added to the list.