08/25/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐.
On this date in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson established the National Park Service. Thereโs still plenty of summertime (or any time) to visit beautiful national parks and recreation areas in the NJ/NY region, such as:
โข ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ, which preserves General George Washington's winter encampment sites and the Ford Mansion.
โข ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ, accessible via ferry from Liberty State Park.
โข ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ in West Orange
โข ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ with its massive 77-foot waterfall that launched Americaโs industrial revolution.
โข ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ has 70,000 acres of mountains, valleys, and the Delaware River for hiking and paddling.
โข ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ which include Sandy Hook beaches, trails, and the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse.
โข ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น, 72 miles along New Jersey's Kittatinny Ridge.
โข ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ, which protects over one million acres of unique pine barrens and waterways.
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed what is now called the Organic Act to establish the National Park Service. As part of the Department of Interior, the National Park Service protects 400 areas in 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, totaling 84 million acres.