Parks
-
National Historical Park
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace
Hodgenville, KY
For over a century people from around the world have come to rural Central Kentucky to honor the humble beginnings of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. His early life on Kentucky's frontier shaped his character and prepared him to lead the nation through Civil War. The country's first memorial to Lincoln, built with donations from young and old, enshrines the symbolic birthplace cabin.
-
National River & Recreation Area
Big South Fork
Oneida, KY,TN
Encompassing 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The area boasts miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs, is rich with natural and historic features and has been developed to provide visitors with a wide range of outdoor recreational activities.
-
National Monument
Camp Nelson
KY
Established as a supply depot and hospital during the Civil War for the U.S. Army, Camp Nelson became a large recruitment and training center for African American soldiers (USCTs), and a refugee camp for their wives and children. Thousands of enslaved people escaped to this site with the hope of securing freedom and ultimately controlling their futures by aiding in the destruction of slavery.
-
National Historical Park
Cumberland Gap
Middlesboro, KY,TN,VA
At Cumberland Gap, the first great gateway to the west, follow the buffalo, the Native American, the longhunter, the pioneer... all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. Modern day explorers and travelers stand in awe at this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic features found in the park.
-
National Battlefield
Fort Donelson
Dover, KY,TN
Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North, and stunned the South. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville would fall into Union hands. Grant and his troops had created a pathway to victory for the Union.
-
National Historic Trail
Lewis & Clark
Sixteen States: IA,ID,IL,IN,KS,KY,MO,MT,NE,ND,OH,OR,PA,SD,WA,WV
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is approximately 4,900 miles long, extending from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River, near present day Astoria, Oregon. It follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as the preparatory section from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Wood River, Illinois.
-
National Park
Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave, KY
Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the worlds longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
-
National Monument
Mill Springs Battlefield
KY
The Union won a significant victory early in the Civil War at The Battle of Mill Springs. Explore the rolling fields of Kentucky where the battle took place and learn about that state's strategic importance to both sides of the fight.
-
National Historic Trail
Trail Of Tears
AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN
Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.
By The Numbers
- 5 National Parks
- 1,752,796 Visitors to National Parks
- $147,100,000 Economic Benefit from National Park Tourism »
- $788,073,446 of Rehabilitation Projects Stimulated by Tax Incentives (since 1995) »
- $66,531,426 of Land & Water Conservation Fund Appropriated for Projects (since 1965) »
- 23 Certified Local Governments »
- 55 Community Conservation & Recreation Projects (since 1987) »
- 7,534 Acres Transferred by Federal Lands to Parks for Local Parks and Recreation (since 1948) »
- 56,091 Hours Donated by Volunteers »
- 2 National Trails Administered by NPS »
- 3,470 National Register of Historic Places Listings »
- 32 National Historic Landmarks »
- 7 National Natural Landmarks »
- 1 World Heritage Site »
- 426 Places Recorded by Heritage Documentation Programs »
- 1,916,686 Objects in National Park Museum Collections »
- 1,634 Archeological Sites in National Parks »
- 5 Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans »
- 11 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries »
Print the summary »
These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2019.