100 Years of the National Park Service

On August 25, 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the U.S. National Park Service. The NPS was directed “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Today, the agency manages more than 400 sites, each with some unique significance to the United States. In celebrating its 100th anniversary, the National Park Service is planning for another century of conservation, preservation – and enjoyment.