Months ago I stated sharing fun, quirky and odd facts as Facebook status with #stuffyouneedtoknow. I was tired of all the negative stuff that came through news feed. So, it was my way to lighten things up. I’ve learned a lot of cool stuff and have decided to expand it to my blog. So the topic for the inaugural blog edition of #stuffyouneedto know is United States National Parks.
The National Park Service was August 25, 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service as a bureau in the Department of the Interior. Originally, the National Park Service was responsible for protecting 35 national parks and monuments. In 1933, 56 monuments and military sites controlled by the Forest Service and War Department were transferred to the National Park Service.
- Park Ranger Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning 7 times during his 35 year career as a park ranger at Shenandoah National Park.
- Delaware is the only state that doesn’t have either a national monument or national park.
- A South Dakota miner started calling Mount Rushmore by this name after a visiting New York attorney – Charles Rushmore – inquired about the name of the granite cliff. The name stuck and became official in 1930.
- Castile de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest masonry fortress in the United States. Built from conch shell bricks the Castile withstood bombardment from British cannons with little damage. Each night the Spanish troops would remove the cannon balls from the walls and repaint the Castile. The Castile never fell to attackers.
- Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world. It was created in 1872 when President Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park act.
- 95 percent of Biscayne National Park us 95 percent underwater. It is known for its beautiful coral reefs.
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States.
Great Smoky National Park - Many believe that Hot Springs National Park not Yellowstone is the oldest national park. Even though the Hot Springs National Park became a federal protected area in 1832. It didn’t become a national park until 1921.
- The 2,180-plus-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through 14 states.
The Dee Zone 