National Park Service Centennial NPR explores the future of the National Park Service as it celebrates 100 years.
Special Series
National Park Service Centennial
The Chickasaw National Recreation Area used to be called Platt National Park until 1976, when it lost its status as a national park. NPS Cultural Landscapes/Flickr hide caption
Joshua Tree National Park is known for its iconic trees, but Joshua tree habitat is expected to shrink dramatically because of climate change. Lauren Sommer/KQED hide caption
Planning For The Future Of A Park Where The Trees Have One Name
National Park Service employees from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nathan Rott/NPR and Mike Belleme for NPR hide caption
Michael Peterson, an archaeologist at Redwood National Park in California, photographs the coastline annually to monitor erosion of archaeological sites. Jes Burns/OPB/EarthFix hide caption
As Storms Erode California's Cliffs, Buried Village Could Get Washed Away
In 2016, Mesa Verde National Park officials closed Spruce Tree House because of crumbling rock. Previous restoration efforts and more extreme temperature swings, which may be connected to climate change, are two reasons why the staff here thinks rock is crumbling. Grace Hood/Colorado Public Radio hide caption
To Preserve History, A National Park Preps For Climate Change
Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park Wes Lindamood/NPR hide caption
Binh Danh melds early photographic materials and timeless landscapes to produce ethereal images of national parks. He made this daguerreotype of Cathedral Rocks and Cathedral Spires in June 2012. Courtesy of Binh Danh hide caption
National Park Daguerreotypes Invite Viewers To 'Merge With The Land'
Moraine Park is a grassy valley inside Rocky Mountain National Park. Wes Lindamood/NPR hide caption
Beyond Sightseeing: You'll Love The Sound Of America's Best Parks
Stands of dead hemlock trees can be seen at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Mike Belleme for NPR hide caption
To Tame A 'Wave' Of Invasive Bugs, Park Service Introduces Predator Beetles
Feral hogs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are an invasive and hugely destructive species. Courtesy of Bill Lea hide caption
Bison on the prairie below the Grand Teton Mountain Range. Bison migrate in and out of Yellowstone National Park. Matt Anderson Photography/Getty Images hide caption
Yellowstone Officials Encounter Visitors Behaving Badly
Budget Shortfalls Affect National Parks' Maintenance, Cleaning
A black bear looks up at a line of picture-taking tourists near the popular Laurel Falls Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Nathan Rott/NPR hide caption
Scientists Look To Insects To Diagnose The Health Of A National Park
A couple walk along the Cactus Forest Trail in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Ariz., last May. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Don't Care About National Parks? The Park Service Needs You To
Flooding and the combined traffic of thousands of cars, trucks and RVs have torn up the roads at Joshua Tree National Park's Black Rock Canyon Campground. The majority of the park's $60 million maintenance backlog is for roads like this. Nathan Rott/NPR hide caption
National Parks Have A Long To-Do List But Can't Cover The Repair Costs
Tourists at Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona wait for a shuttle bus in 2015. For years, the Grand Canyon and other big national parks have been seeing rising attendance. Felicia Fonseca/AP hide caption