Nature and the Outdoors

View All Areas By State

The purpose of this area of the site is to provide access to some basic information and links to various locations controlled by the US Federal, State and Local governments. The initial contents of this section focus on the US National Park system and its locations and diverse parks. The National Park system has a variety of Park types. Below are the different types of parks and areas comprising the database.

Part of this section is to be a project that I'm starting to create on online library of images from the entire national park system. I'd like users and visitors of the site to work with me on this project to help me accumulate all of these photographs. There will be more on this as soon as my online gallery is ready for prime time (eta - 4/30/05.)

National Park	Contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources.
National Wildlife Refuge	Contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources.
National Monument	Preserves at least one nationally significant resource. Usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions
National Preserve	Protects certain resources. Activities such as hunting, fishing or the extraction of minerals and fuels may be permitted if they do not jeopardize the natural values.
National Reserve	Similar to preserves, but managed by local or state authorities
National Lakeshore and National Seashore	Preserves shoreline areas and off-shore islands while providing water-oriented recreation.
National River and Wild and Scenic Riverway	Provides ribbons of land bordering on free-flowing streams that have not been dammed, channelized or otherwise altered. Besides preserving rivers in their natural state, these areas provide opportunities for outdoor activities.
National Scenic Trail	Long-Distance footpath winding through areas of natural beauty.
National Historic Site	Preserves places and commemorates persons, events and activities important in the nation's history.
National Historic Park	Possessing greater physical extend and complexity than National Historic Sites
National Military Park, Battlefield, Battlefield Park	Areas associated with American military history.
National Memorial	An area that is primarily commemorateive of an historical subject or person.
National Recreation Area	Land and water set aside for recreational use.
National Parkway	Encompasses ribbons of land flanking roadways and offers an opportunity of leisurely driving through areas of scenic interest.