NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC • June 8, 2023
The National Park Service manages more than 400 sites across the United States, but less than 20 percent (63) are national parks. National parks can be a boon for regional tourism and bring federal resources for conserving land that may be vulnerable to development or invasive species. So where could the next national park be? The U.S. is full of worthy candidates. But with strong local and federal support, the following sites stand a good chance of becoming America’s 64th national park. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine - Open to the public since 2016, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a gateway to more than 87,000 acres of Maine’s interior wilderness. Turning the monument into a national park would expand access to more mountains, bogs, and waterfalls throughout the region while mitigating the visitor strain on Acadia, New England’s only national park.