20:
31:
128:
Because U.S. federal protected areas include both ownership based names, and names related to overlaying policy designations, the naming system for U.S. protected areas results in some types being used by more than one agency. For instance, both the
National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service
78:
Federal protected areas include lands and waters owned outright ("Fee ownerships"), as well as areas that are secured by easements, leases, etc. In addition to ownership-defined areas, there are numerous overlaying policy designations that apply management protections and use conditions on all or
145:
are designated within other protected areas, managed by various agencies and sometimes wilderness areas span areas managed by multiple agencies. Those relying on U.S. protected areas data are advised to learn more about all of these conventions by reviewing the extensive
369:
as well as many other types of protected areas (forests, reserves, refuges, recreation areas, etc.). State parks vary widely from urban parks to very large parks that are on a par with national parks. Some state parks, like
354:
972:
153:
There are existing federal designations of historic or landmark status that may support preservation via tax incentives, but that do not necessarily convey any protection, including a listing on the
390:
is the largest state park by the amount of contiguous protected land; it is larger than many U.S. National Parks, with some 1,600,000 acres (650,000 ha), making it larger than the state of
86:, the U.S. had a total of 6,770 terrestrial nationally designated (federal) protected areas. Federal level protected areas are managed by a variety of agencies, most of which are a part of the
483:
378:, with numerous towns inside the borders of the park. About half the area of the park, some 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha), is state-owned and preserved as "forever wild" by the
199:
194:
178:
324:
125:(National Parks). The United States maintains 12 percent of the Level I and II lands in the world. These lands had a total area of 210,000 sq mi (540,000 km).
232:
50:
are managed by an array of different federal, state, tribal and local level authorities and receive widely varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as
608:
114:
1073:
211:
927:
997:
724:
184:
87:
278:
67:
821:
91:
1042:
677:
300:
262:
243:
142:
103:
629:, recreation districts and other units manage a wide variety of local public parks and other protected areas. Some of these are little more than
1037:
967:
555:
419:
107:
1027:
293:
154:
83:
110:
is claimed to provide 30 percent of the recreational opportunities on federal lands, mainly through lakes and waterways that they manage.
952:
874:
682:
451:
375:
310:
122:
118:
687:
563:
507:
70:, covering an additional 1,240,000 sq mi (3,200,000 km), or 26 percent of the total marine area of the United States.
982:
756:
702:
662:
595:
523:
228:
138:
55:
920:
567:
559:
551:
511:
216:
957:
707:
495:
427:
712:
591:
531:
527:
258:
667:
599:
571:
491:
471:
247:
890:
587:
543:
535:
515:
499:
487:
479:
467:
431:
423:
415:
95:
913:
697:
692:
672:
603:
583:
503:
455:
439:
435:
411:
403:
223:
947:
547:
519:
463:
443:
407:
379:
340:
335:
330:
238:
158:
987:
977:
575:
475:
447:
99:
24:
1052:
1012:
992:
653:
in the United States; it spans 25 sq mi (65 km) and contains 58 mi (93 km) of trails.
614:
579:
539:
459:
320:
305:
288:
134:
383:
273:
137:. The National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management manage areas called
315:
206:
1047:
1032:
1017:
268:
253:
174:
853:
829:
94:. They are often considered the crown jewels of the protected areas. Other areas are managed by the
642:
66:. This is also one-tenth of the protected land area of the world. The U.S. also had a total of 871
962:
40:"Why should man value himself as more than a small part of the one great unit of creation ?"
905:
1007:
752:
189:
130:
1002:
646:
165:, for example, is very clear that it does not set any limits on owners of NRHP properties.
62:
covered 1,235,486 km (477,024 sq mi), or 13 percent of the land area of the
371:
1022:
638:
283:
79:
some of individual protected areas (e.g., Wilderness Areas, National
Monuments, etc.).
59:
161:. States and local zoning bodies may or may not choose to protect these. The state of
1067:
626:
63:
19:
395:
772:
650:
634:
366:
51:
37:(1838–1914), one of the main inspirations for the U.S. national park system.
34:
751:. New York - London - Toronto - Sydney - Singapore: Simon & Schuster.
797:
391:
162:
900:
147:
30:
630:
387:
29:
18:
885:
880:
909:
869:
749:
Wilderness A To Z. An
Essential Guide to the Great Outdoors
625:
U.S. counties, cities and towns, metropolitan authorities,
895:
864:
875:
Protected Areas
Database of the United States (PAD-US)
113:
The highest levels of protection, as described by the
121:(Strict Nature Reserves & Wilderness Areas) and
828:. Colorado Historical Society. 2009. Archived from
859:
886:National Conservation Easement Database (NCED)
609:List of U.S. state and tribal wilderness areas
355:UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the United States
115:International Union for Conservation of Nature
921:
8:
937:Federal protected areas in the United States
54:, while others are operated with acceptable
725:Environmental movement in the United States
402:Lists of state parks in the United States:
279:Cooperative Management and Protection Areas
928:
914:
906:
891:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lakes Gateway
742:
740:
779:. World Database on Protected Areas. 2022
349:International protected area designations
16:Legally protected land, eg national parks
798:"National Marine Protected Areas Center"
92:United States Department of the Interior
822:"National & State Register Program"
736:
104:United States Fish and Wildlife Service
865:National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
854:National Landscape Conservation System
649:, for example, is called the largest
615:Wildlife Management Areas in the U.S.
108:United States Army Corps of Engineers
7:
1074:Protected areas of the United States
311:National Estuarine Research Reserves
155:National Register of Historic Places
84:United Nations Environment Programme
48:protected areas of the United States
376:national parks of England and Wales
169:Federal protected area designations
14:
703:Protected areas of North Carolina
663:Protected areas of American Samoa
657:List of protected areas by region
637:; however, others are extensive
870:National Wildlife Refuge System
321:National Wildlife Refuge System
259:National Wild and Scenic Rivers
68:National Marine Protected Areas
713:Protected areas of Puerto Rico
1:
802:marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov
668:Protected areas of California
82:As of 2007, according to the
74:Federal-level protected areas
394:. Many states also operate
365:Every state has a system of
96:United States Forest Service
953:Estuarine Research Reserves
901:U.S. Marine Protected Areas
698:Protected areas of Michigan
693:Protected areas of Kentucky
683:Protected areas of Illinois
673:Protected areas of Colorado
621:Local-level protected areas
380:Forest Preserve of New York
361:State-level protected areas
301:National Marine Sanctuaries
239:National Conservation Areas
224:National Conservation Lands
1090:
773:"United States of America"
688:Protected areas of Indiana
678:Protected areas of Georgia
331:Tennessee Valley Authority
159:National Historic Landmark
943:
306:National Recreation Areas
289:Outstanding Natural Areas
143:National Wilderness Areas
135:National Recreation Areas
100:Bureau of Land Management
58:. As of 2022, the 42,826
993:Outstanding Natural Area
973:Lakeshores and seashores
879:PAD-US companion site -
336:Day-Use Recreation Areas
274:National Historic Trails
129:manage areas designated
747:Carley, Rachel (2001).
708:Protected areas of Ohio
384:Wood-Tikchik State Park
157:or a designation as a
56:commercial exploitation
1048:Wilderness Study Areas
1038:Wild and Scenic Rivers
1018:Research Natural Areas
398:and recreation areas.
316:National Trails System
269:National Scenic Trails
254:Wilderness Study Areas
43:
27:
860:National Park Service
627:regional park systems
374:, are similar to the
294:National Scenic Areas
88:National Park Service
33:
22:
175:National Park System
896:U.S. Forest Service
856:(BLM Special Areas)
643:South Mountain Park
217:National Grasslands
200:National Lakeshores
978:Marine Sanctuaries
948:Conservation Areas
881:Protectedlands.net
229:National Monuments
195:National Seashores
190:National Preserves
148:PAD-US Help system
139:national monuments
131:National Preserves
90:, a bureau of the
44:
28:
1061:
1060:
988:Natural Landmarks
1081:
1053:Wildlife Refuges
1043:Wilderness Areas
1013:Recreation Areas
968:Historical parks
930:
923:
916:
907:
841:
840:
838:
837:
818:
812:
811:
809:
808:
794:
788:
787:
785:
784:
777:Protected Planet
769:
763:
762:
744:
647:Phoenix, Arizona
244:Wilderness Areas
212:National Forests
23:Grand Canyon of
1089:
1088:
1084:
1083:
1082:
1080:
1079:
1078:
1064:
1063:
1062:
1057:
939:
934:
850:
845:
844:
835:
833:
820:
819:
815:
806:
804:
796:
795:
791:
782:
780:
771:
770:
766:
759:
746:
745:
738:
733:
721:
659:
639:nature reserves
623:
372:Adirondack Park
363:
284:Forest Reserves
207:National Forest
177:(list of areas
76:
60:protected areas
38:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1087:
1085:
1077:
1076:
1066:
1065:
1059:
1058:
1056:
1055:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
960:
955:
950:
944:
941:
940:
935:
933:
932:
925:
918:
910:
904:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
849:
848:External links
846:
843:
842:
813:
789:
764:
757:
735:
734:
732:
729:
728:
727:
720:
717:
716:
715:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
658:
655:
622:
619:
618:
617:
611:
606:
564:South Carolina
508:North Carolina
362:
359:
358:
357:
346:
345:
344:
343:
338:
328:
318:
313:
308:
303:
298:
297:
296:
291:
286:
281:
276:
271:
266:
256:
251:
241:
236:
221:
220:
219:
214:
204:
203:
202:
197:
192:
187:
185:National Parks
75:
72:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1086:
1075:
1072:
1071:
1069:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1033:Scenic Trails
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
945:
942:
938:
931:
926:
924:
919:
917:
912:
911:
908:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
855:
852:
851:
847:
832:on 2008-09-07
831:
827:
823:
817:
814:
803:
799:
793:
790:
778:
774:
768:
765:
760:
758:0-7432-0057-8
754:
750:
743:
741:
737:
730:
726:
723:
722:
718:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
660:
656:
654:
652:
648:
644:
640:
636:
632:
628:
620:
616:
612:
610:
607:
605:
601:
597:
596:West Virginia
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
553:
549:
545:
541:
537:
533:
529:
525:
524:New Hampshire
521:
517:
513:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
489:
485:
484:Massachusetts
481:
477:
473:
469:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
400:
399:
397:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
368:
360:
356:
353:
352:
351:
350:
342:
341:Natural Areas
339:
337:
334:
333:
332:
329:
326:
322:
319:
317:
314:
312:
309:
307:
304:
302:
299:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
282:
280:
277:
275:
272:
270:
267:
264:
260:
257:
255:
252:
249:
245:
242:
240:
237:
234:
230:
227:
226:
225:
222:
218:
215:
213:
210:
209:
208:
205:
201:
198:
196:
193:
191:
188:
186:
183:
182:
180:
176:
173:
172:
171:
170:
166:
164:
160:
156:
151:
149:
144:
140:
136:
132:
126:
124:
120:
116:
111:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
80:
73:
71:
69:
65:
64:United States
61:
57:
53:
49:
41:
36:
32:
26:
21:
1028:Scenic Areas
936:
834:. Retrieved
830:the original
825:
816:
805:. Retrieved
801:
792:
781:. Retrieved
776:
767:
748:
624:
568:South Dakota
560:Rhode Island
552:Pennsylvania
512:North Dakota
364:
348:
347:
168:
167:
152:
127:
117:(IUCN), are
112:
81:
77:
47:
45:
42:- John Muir.
39:
635:playgrounds
556:Puerto Rico
496:Mississippi
428:Connecticut
367:state parks
25:Yellowstone
963:Grasslands
836:2009-04-13
807:2023-08-27
783:2022-08-05
731:References
592:Washington
532:New Mexico
528:New Jersey
420:California
52:wilderness
1008:Preserves
983:Monuments
651:city park
633:areas or
600:Wisconsin
572:Tennessee
492:Minnesota
472:Louisiana
35:John Muir
1068:Category
1003:Parkways
719:See also
613:List of
588:Virginia
544:Oklahoma
536:New York
516:Nebraska
500:Missouri
488:Michigan
480:Maryland
468:Kentucky
452:Illinois
432:Delaware
424:Colorado
416:Arkansas
392:Delaware
163:Colorado
123:Level II
102:and the
958:Forests
604:Wyoming
584:Vermont
504:Montana
456:Indiana
440:Georgia
436:Florida
412:Arizona
404:Alabama
119:Level I
1023:Rivers
755:
631:picnic
548:Oregon
520:Nevada
464:Kansas
444:Hawaii
408:Alaska
388:Alaska
323:(list
261:(list
246:(list
231:(list
106:. The
98:, the
998:Parks
576:Texas
476:Maine
448:Idaho
826:OAHP
753:ISBN
602:and
580:Utah
540:Ohio
460:Iowa
396:game
325:here
263:here
248:here
233:here
179:here
133:and
46:The
645:in
386:in
1070::
824:.
800:.
775:.
739:^
641:.
598:,
594:,
590:,
586:,
582:,
578:,
574:,
570:,
566:,
562:,
558:,
554:,
550:,
546:,
542:,
538:,
534:,
530:,
526:,
522:,
518:,
514:,
510:,
506:,
502:,
498:,
494:,
490:,
486:,
482:,
478:,
474:,
470:,
466:,
462:,
458:,
454:,
450:,
446:,
442:,
438:,
434:,
430:,
426:,
422:,
418:,
414:,
410:,
406:,
382:.
181:)
150:.
141:.
929:e
922:t
915:v
839:.
810:.
786:.
761:.
327:)
265:)
250:)
235:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
