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| Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge during a trip to the big city. |
This week, America is wishing Happy 100th Birthday to the US National Park Service. A century ago, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the agency “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife 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".
When most people think of National Parks, the panoramic landscape of the Grand Canyon, the towering waterfalls of Yosemite or the iconic Old Faithful geyser nestled in Yellowstone come to mind. But the National Park Service is not tasked solely with preserving the natural wonders of America. They also take care of its historical sites, many of which are located in big cities. Would you believe that more than a third of all national park sites are located in metro areas? Forty of the nation's fifty most populated urban areas have national parks in them. 36% of all National Parks visits occur at urban sites. According the Urban Agenda, it's part of the service's goal to reach Americans where they live and be relevant to their everyday lives, not just be part of a postcard perfect vacation in the Great Outdoors.
In honor of their mission to satisfy both the country mice and the city mice, here are a few of my favorite urban sites managed by the National Parks Service
