ABOUT THIS VOLUME
Sources & methodology
U. S. National Parks Factbook is an independent reference to National Park Service places. Park entries are organized by the designation supplied with each source record. A designation describes a type of place; it is not a quality ranking.
Read the source with the entry
Numbered references open source cards with the source link, retrieval date, any supplied information date, and reuse notes. The information date describes the underlying source when one is supplied. A retrieval date records when material was captured for this edition. Neither establishes that a field was independently verified.
One source lineage
The park profiles use National Park Service source material. They are single-source entries unless an individual field explicitly records additional evidence. A source link is attribution, and does not by itself establish corroboration. Missing source information is identified rather than estimated.
Coverage and designations
The contents reflect the entries available in the captured dataset. The National Park System includes many designations beyond “National Park,” and source designations may combine more than one type. Entry totals describe this publication’s dataset and should not be interpreted as an official count of congressionally authorized park units.
Measurements and display settings
Source units are the default. Recognized measurements can show rounded equivalents in parentheses. Choosing Metric, US customary, or Imperial displays that system alone where a supported conversion is available. Original measurements remain in source information. Display conversions do not add precision to the original information.
Text, images and reuse
Source and rights information accompany the reference fields. Federal authorship and third-party contributions can have different reuse terms. No National Park Service arrowhead or other agency logo is used as this project’s identity. This edition does not assume that photographs on government websites are free to reuse. NPS-authored government works and items with explicit reuse statements are attributed. Material with unresolved third-party rights is held for review.
Using the maps
Maps are for general reference, not specialized navigation or legal boundary determinations. Check current official park maps and conditions before travel. NPS map sources and accuracy guidance ↗
A reference, with a dated source capture
Access, fees, operating hours, closures, safety information and services can change after a capture. Follow the official park link in each profile for current visitor information. Edition notes describe the stored source capture; they do not imply continuous monitoring.
Independence
This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service or the U.S. government. It belongs to the independent Factbook library, alongside the World Factbook. Its layout takes inspiration from printed reference books.