America's National Parks At a Glance. Thomas Crochetiere Crochetiere

Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona, Wupatki is a landscape of legacies. The many settlement sites scattered throughout the Monument were built by the Ancient Pueblo people.

      Arkansas

      Hot Springs National Park (NPS photo)

      Arkansas Post National Memorial

      1741 Old Post Rd. Gillett, AR 72055

      870-548-2207

      Arkansas Post National Memorial commemorates the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley and present-day Arkansas. Located at the confluence of two rivers, Arkansas Post has served as a gathering place for many cultures throughout human history. Henri de Tonti established it in 1686 as a French trading post on the banks of the lower Arkansas River.

      Buffalo National River

      402 N. Walnut Suite 136 Harrison, AR 72601

      870-439-2502

      Buffalo National River flows freely for 135-miles flowing through the Ozark Mountains. The river is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. Buffalo National River is popular for camping, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. The park is also home to the state’s only elk herd.

      Fort Smith National Historic Site

      301 Parker Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901

      479-783-3961

      Fort Smith National Historic Site protects the remains of two 19^th century U.S. military forts, including a building which once housed the United Stated District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Fort Smith was established on December 25, 1817 and remained there until the final days of Judge Isaac C. Parker's jurisdiction over Indian Territory in 1896.

      Hot Springs National Park

      101 Reserve St. Hot Springs, AR 71901

      501-620-6715

      Hot Springs National Park nicknamed "The American Spa"; the park has more than 40 hot springs. It is the smallest National Park by area in the U.S. at 5,550-acres. Established long before the first National Park was created, it was the first time that a piece of land had been set aside by the federal government to preserve its use as an area for recreation.

      Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

      2120 W Daisy L Gatson Bates Dr. Little Rock, AR 72202

      501-374-1957

      Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site commemorates nine African American students' persistence in attending the formerly all-white Central High School. This was the most prominent national example of the implementation of the May 17, 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. Little Rock Central High School is recognized for the role it played in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. Little Rock Central High School remains open today and is currently used for public education.

      Pea Ridge National Military Park

      15930 E Hwy 62 Garfield, AR 72732

      479-451-8122

      Pea Ridge National Military Park protects the site of the American Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge (also known as Elkhorn Tavern) which was fought from March 7-8, 1862. It was here where 26,000 soldiers fought to decide the fate of Missouri and the West. In the battle, Union Army forces led by Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Major General Earl Van Dorn effectively securing St. Louis, Missouri, the Missouri River and the Upper Mississippi River for the Union. Pea Ridge was one of the most pivotal Civil War battles and is the most intact Civil War battlefield in the U.S.

      President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home

      National Historic Site

      412 Division St. Hope AR, 71801

      870-777-4455

      President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site is located in Hope, Arkansas. On August 19, 1946, Virginia Blythe gave birth to her son, William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III after his father who died before he was born). Clinton spent the first four years of his life in the house in Hope. The house was owned by his grandparents, James Eldridge Cassidy and Edith Grisham, and they cared for him when his mother was away working in New Orleans. In this house, he learned many of the early lessons that defined his life and his future presidency. William Jefferson Clinton would grow up to become the 42^nd President of the United States.

      California

      Joshua Tree National Park (NPS photo)

      Cabrillo National Monument

      1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr. San Diego, CA 92106

      619-557-5450

      Cabrillo National Monument commemorates the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the U.S. The Point Loma Lighthouse is the highest point in the park and has been a San Diego icon since 1855. The park offers a view of San Diego's harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. It is also possible to see Tijuana, Mexico and Mexico’s Coronado Islands on a clear day.

      Castle Mountains National Monument

      2701 Barstow Rd. Barstow, CA 92311

      760-252-6100

      Castle Mountains National Monument is America’s newest National Park unit located in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Surrounded on three sides by Mojave National Preserve; Castle Mountains National Monument protects a stunning landscape rich in Native American and western history, wildlife including golden eagles, bighorn sheep and mountain lions, and vast Joshua tree forests. The park features a row of jagged peaks rising above twisted Joshua trees and rare native desert grasslands. The area also includes the historic mining camp of Hart. Castle Mountains National Monument is a remote and unique desert landscape accessible only by dirt roads. High clearance and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is generally recommended.

      Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

      29700 Woodford-Tehachapi Rd. Keene, CA 93531

      661-823-6134

      Cesar E. Chavez National Monument was the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and home to Cesar Chavez from the early 1970s until his death in 1993. Under the leadership of Cesar E. Chavez and others, along with support from millions of Americans, the farm worker movement joined forces with other reform movements to achieve unprecedented successes that greatly improved working and living conditions and wages for farm workers. During the 1970s the UFW grew and expanded from its early roots as a union for farm workers to also become a national voice for the poor and disenfranchised. This 116-acre site also includes Cesar Chavez’ gravesite.

      Channel Islands National Park

      1901 Spinnaker Dr. Ventura, CA 93001

      805-658-5730

      Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands (the islands are San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara), half of which are under the ocean. Although the islands are close to the shore of the heavily populated Southern California, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped. The 175-miles of shoreline provide plentiful snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities,