![RALA-CA UCLA LIBRARY Historic image of two men next to plaque with dinosaur skeleton in background](/subjects/nnlandmarks/images/RALA-CA-UCLA-LIBRARY.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
UCLA Special Collections, used with permission.
Which National Natural Landmark (NNL) was the nation’s first? It turns out there are 9 NNL sites that can technically claim the title as the first! In 1964, just two years after the inception of the National Natural Landmarks (NNL) program, then Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Lee Udall, signed two designation memos that officially designated these 9 sites. The first batch of designations took place on March 7 and the second on October 14, 1964.
NNLs designated on March 7, 1964:
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Bergen-Byron Swamp, NY
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, FL
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Elder Creek, CA
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Fontenelle Forest, NE
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Mianus River Gorge, NY
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Rancho La Brea, CA
- Wissahickon Valley, PA
NNLs designated on October 14, 1964:
- Cranesville Swamp Nature Sanctuary, WV & MD
- Mentor Marsh, OH
![Three NNL sites designated in 1964 Collage of three historic photos depicting people next to plaques](/subjects/nnlandmarks/images/CRSW-WV-FOFO-NB-ELCR-CA-collage.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
![COSW-FL MIRI-NY BEBY-NY collage Collage of historic photos of people posing around plaques](/subjects/nnlandmarks/images/COSW-FL-MIRI-NY-BEBY-NY-collage.jpg?maxwidth=1300&maxheight=1300&autorotate=false)
Last updated: March 9, 2024