Happy Birthday Park Service!
This is a break from the series I’ve been working on.
Today, August 25th, 2025 is the 109th anniversary of the National Park Service.
The National Park Service was created on August 16th, 1916. 48 years after the first National Park: Yellowstone, was established. The goal as stated in the Organic Act which established it, was to “promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations…by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks…” that purpose was and is “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."
Or to put it plainly: 35 Parks across the nation were put under the care of a single organization: The National Park Service, to promote and protect the nature, history, and wildlife of these parks not just for people at the time but on, into the future.
109 years later, and the National Park Service has grown to more than 435 Parks, Monuments, Reserves, Preserves, National Coastlines, and so many more different and significant types of places. Places people can go to experience nature, learn about history, and observe wildlife. And those places are here for us to explore, learn about, and write mysteries about. (personal bias) But the really magical thing about this, so long as it lasts, is that 109 years from now, people should still be able to explore these places and learn about their history. (Which will include our present.)
Often anniversaries are meant as times to reflect, look back, and celebrate the accomplishment of a series of revolutions around the sun. But, instead, I want to look forward.
On this, the 109th anniversary of the National Park Service, I want to look ahead another 109 years, and cast my desires for the future of this organization, by proposing and projecting several more National Parks I would like to see take shape, and what they would look like in the future.
So, August 25, 2134
As people are celebrating the 218th anniversary of the National Park Service, and are looking back on the previous century plus:
A Small Monument
After it’s national recognition in 2034, Mushroom Rock State Park in Kansas is finally given it’s rightful place as Mushroom Rock National Monument. While the site remains mostly undeveloped, a small visitor center has been added when an extra acre is donated. A single ranger works the desk and is happy to describe the geology of the site, and a view area allows for 3D projections across the planes to show what the area would have looked like when the rocks were formed.
2. Cretaceous Park National Park
While the name disappointed some of the movie fans who were galvanized to fight for this park, it is more accurate to the dinosaurs held within. After the 20 years of Time Machine Wars which started 2069 and ended in 2070, the newly formed ancient volcanic island in the Pacific is chosen to house the thousands of dinosaurs and Dinosaur adjacent animals which were pulled in from the Cretaceous to fight against the swarms of mechanized octopus warriors from an unknown and distant future. Forsaking their weapons, the dinosaurs, unable to return to their time, choose to remove their intelligence augments and return to traditional life. Now the island is a preserve, a place for these creatures to rest, and a chance for people to observe dinosaurs in the modern world. Due to the nature of paleontology and fossil preservation, most first time visitors are shocked to learn that many of their favorite species are not on the island.
Instead of becoming a disappointment, it’s a learning opportunity as people get to discover new, never preserved/discovered species, and learn more about how diverse and majestic the world can be. They do have a T-Rex, (several in fact) and also several different Ceratopsians. For some reason, however, the park mascot is the Lambeosaurus. Perhaps because, during the wars, the duckbilled dinosaurs were part of the rapid response search and rescue teams, and were thus both very popular and celebrated.
3. An overdue promotion
Colorado National Monument was finally given the long due promotion to National Park. To maintain the majestic environment, and preserve the unparalleled vista’s and histories, it was also expanded to the entirety of the state of Colorado which wasn’t already a national park. All residential and commercial enterprises were given inholding status, so no one has to move, and jobs continue.
ok.
All jokes aside, 109 years is pretty awesome.
But the goal was never in the past. The goal has always been to look forward. As early as the 1870’s people were looking to preserve some of the most scenic places the US has to offer. As awareness and access expanded, they sought to preserve historic locations, culturally significant places, and wildlife, not just for themselves but also for generations which come after.
We don’t need to make an entire state a National Park. Hopefully we can avoid the necessity of any future war memorials by avoiding future wars. (Especially the Time Machine Wars.) And National Park status isn’t always necessary or what is best for public places. But of the many parks I have visited, and of the many more I have yet to visit, I am grateful that people before me fought to establish and protect them so that I, and those I love might have the opportunity to visit. And I hope, and take comfort in the fact that as long as we keep fighting for these places, (and maybe finding a few more worth the fight along the way,) many more future generations might be able to to enjoy some of the coolest, most interesting, most thought provoking, and most awe inspiring places that the U.S. has to offer.
So, happy 109th anniversary National Park Service. Here’s hoping there’s a 218th. (And many more.)
Also, Mushroom Rock really should be a National Monument. It’s almost worth driving out of your way to see if you’re on I-70 driving through Kansas.
2/3rds of Mushroom Rock State Park