National Parks That Used To Be National Monuments

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National monuments are among the most controversial political topics nowadays. But that wasn’t always the case—rather the contrary, in fact.

Since the introduction of the Antiquities Act in 1906, fifteen U.S. presidents, Republicans as well as Democrats, have together designated no fewer than 127 national monuments. In the more than 100 years since then, only three presidents didn’t create a national monument during their presidency: Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

As controversial as they’ve become during the Trump presidency, the importance of national monuments is abundantly clear and cannot be exaggerated. In fact, most of America’s most beloved national parks were national monuments first.

Many Americans who oppose the creation or expansion of national monuments nowadays may not realize that there are more than two dozen national monuments that became national parks later on. And they include some of the country’s greatest and most cherished natural attractions and holiday destinations.

Before we get to the list of national monuments that became national parks, though, let’s answer a couple of important questions first.

What Is the Antiquities Act?

The National Park Service defines the Antiquities Act as follows:

The Antiquities Act is the first law to establish that archaeological sites on public lands are important public resources. It obligates federal agencies that manage the public lands to preserve for present and future generations the historic, scientific, commemorative, and cultural values of the archaeological and historic sites and structures on these lands. It also authorizes the President to protect landmarks, structures, and objects of historic or scientific interest by designating them as National Monuments.

Simply put, the act allows U.S. presidents to create national monuments to ensure that important cultural sites and natural areas are protected and remain available to future generations.

The Antiquities Act was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Its significance is enormous. The act has helped protect a wide variety of valuable places in the United States, from Alaskan glaciers to Native American dwellings in the Southwest to a mighty island fortress in Florida.

What Is the Difference Between National Monuments and National Parks?

The main difference between national monuments and national parks lies in the reason for their designation and who establishes them.

National monuments are established by presidential proclamation and because of their specific cultural, historical and/or scientific significance.

This is why there is a huge variety in national monuments, from the Statue of Liberty to Chaco Canyon. They include ruins and buildings, military fortresses, wilderness areas and fossil sites. There’s also no size limit for national monuments—they can be as small or large as necessary to protect a certain site.

National parks, on the other hand, are designated by Congress and are meant to protect some area of outstanding natural beauty or with rare natural features.

They’re set apart for the use of the American people, for purposes of recreation, conservation and education. Generally speaking, national parks must be sufficiently big in order to allow for optimal use and management.

Congress can upgrade national monuments to national parks, which it has done numerous times in the past century. It’s those parks that this blog post is about. They indicate the importance of national monuments in a way that’s undeniable.

Famous National Parks That Used to Be National Monuments

So, how many national monuments have been upgraded to national parks? You might be surprised that the total is 28. In other words, almost half the current 63 American national parks used to be national monuments before they were upgraded by Congress. Does that prove the value of the Antiquities Act? Yes, I think so, too.

The following overview of national parks that used to be national monuments is based on this document from the National Park Service. It lists all 127 national monuments designated by presidents since 1906, including the 28 that would become some of America’s most treasured national parks.