In celebration of national parks (part 1).

Did you know that the U.S. National Park Service covers more than 84 million acres of land, employs over 22,000 workers, and had over 307 million visitors in 2015?

From the subtropical wilderness of the Everglades in Florida, to the arctic tundra of Denali – the environmental, historical, and social value of our national parks is immeasurable.

In this first entry of a 3-part series, we highlight the environmental value of our 59 national parks – what many consider to be ‘America’s Best Idea.’ We write this series out of incredible appreciation for these national symbols and treasures – and also out of concern for their future preservation.

This past year, the AIR Adventures team undertook an epic cross-country road trip, from east coast to west coast, where we were able to experience firsthand the wonders of our most famous and treasured parks, including the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Death Valley – to name a few.

Of all the parks we saw, the one that stands out as best capturing their collective environmental value is the iconic Yosemite.

This park, one of the oldest in the National Park System, covers an astonishing 747, 956 acres in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern California, with ~95% of it  designated as wilderness. While Yosemite is internationally renowned for its impressive granite formations and its contributions to epic vacation photos, few realize the important role the park plays in supporting plant and animal life: the park claims five distinct vegetation zones, and more than 225,000 acres of old growth forest – with untouched groves of fir, pine, and ancient sequoias. This habitat is home to over 250 species of animals – including the protected Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep and red fox. Apart from providing an important habitat for wildlife, these trees also provide an important source of sequestration for CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Yosemite offers more than habitat for regional flora and fauna, however. Thee park supports life in California more generally, as the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, located within the park, is a central water supply for Northern California. An estimated 85% of San Francisco’s water comes from this reservoir.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Yosemite’s environmental value is equalled only by its historical value: it was this park, and John Muir’s commitment to protecting it, that spurred development of the National Park System.

Interested in going? We recommend a visit to Yosemite for anyone with a passion for the environment, outdoor adventures, and/or history. The park offers plenty of opportunities for both daylong and extended stays – check out all their offerings for both individuals and families here. But plan well in advance! This is one of our nation’s most popular parks, and reservations for both campgrounds as well as hotels fill up quickly.

During our trip, AIR Adventures took to the trails in and around the valley for what proved to be one of our favorite trail running expeditions to-date. A particularly beautiful – and challenging! – route took us from the valley floor to the top of Yosemite Falls. The route was fairly short, about 7.2 miles round-trip, but packed in a whopping 2,700 feet of elevation gain in the initial climb up! Check out the route here.

Fee? Yes – $30 per vehicle, $15 per pedestrian or bike. (Or you can get a national park pass, which we highly recommend!)

Dogs or other pets? Yes – on leashes and on designated trails.

Bikes? Road – yes; MTB – no.

Stay tuned for our next entry in this series!

Update: The Trump administration has issued a media blackout for the National Park System. And Congress has recently passed legislation that will make it easier to sell off public lands – including national parks. More recently, Congress has voted to make it easier to drill in national parks, and is now moving to repeal the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Concerned? Then call your representative: 202.224.3121. This number will allow you to connect with your Senate and House representative

Interested in supporting global conservation efforts? Then check out the Alliance for International Reforestation here: http://www.airguatemala.org