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Crater Lake National Park
William Gladstone Steel spent most of his life exploring Crater Lake and eventually made it his goal for it to become a National Park. Using data from his expeditions, Steel lobbied for Crater Lake to be established as a National Park to Theodore Roosevelt who, after realizing the Lake's astonishing beauty, signed the authorization bill. -
Wind Cave National Park
Located in Western South Dakota, the Wind Cave was first discovered by Native Americans. Tom and Jesse Bingham, however, where the first Caucasian Americans to find it and document it, which lead to others exploring it and eventually the cave got Roosevelt's attention. The bill was signed in 1903 by Roosevelt, making Wind Cave the first cave in the world to be designated as a national park. -
Sullys Hill
This prairie land in North Dakota was named after American Civil War general Alfred Sully. Sullys Hill was disbanded as a National Park during the Great Depression in 1931, only 27 years after being established. It was then handed over to Fish and Wildlife Service to be protected and maintained. It is home to bison, elk, white-tailed deer, prairie dogs and a variety or birds, insects and plants. -
Yosemite National Park Addition
Yosemite National Park itself had already been established in 1890 through the work of Galen Clark and John Muir. In 1903 Muir persuaded Theodore Roosevelt to go on a camping trip with him to Yosemite Valley. On this trip he convinced the president to sign a bill extending the National Park borders so the federal government had control over Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove instead of California. The bill was signed and passed by Roosevelt in 1906. -
Mesa Verde National Park
As the last National Park Roosevelt established in his presidency, Mesa Verde protects some of the best cliff dwellings and ancient architecture in the United States. A lot of the early efforts to preserve this archaeological site were made by Jesse Walter Fewkes. Roosevelt became aware of it's existence and quickly worked to have it established as a National Park so the federal government could aid in the preservation of it's amazing cliff palaces. -
Platt National Park
The Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations were the first to recognize the unique beauty and need for protection of the freshwater and mineral springs. These nations looked to the federal government for support in protecting this area and sold them the land. The area was originally established as Sulphur Springs Reservation in 1902 but designated as a Platt National Park in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt. It has since been combined with surrounding lands and renamed The Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
