# National Park vs. National Monument vs. National Rec' Area- plus, a BONUS RANT! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109 "2002-03-26T01:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/1 "2002-03-26T01:41:37Z")
If this has been answered Cecil before, please give me the link . . . but does anyone KNOW what the difference is between the three?? On the pecking order, from what I can gather from the National Park Service website, is Parks, then Mons and Rec Areas. It would appear that many National Parks were once one of the other two. My question is . .what is the difference??? How does a lowly National Moneument get to be a big-ass National Park? Special criteria? Pork barrel politics? Here is one example that HAD to be pork barrel politics: What prompted this question was the absolute HORROR upon my discovery that there is a Cuyahoga Valley NATIONAL PARK, once a measly Recreational Area, BETWEEN, get this: . . . . . . . . . . . . CLEVELAND AND AKRON, OHIO!!! No, really, no shit: > **[Cuyahoga Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)](https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm)** Are you kdding me??? Look, no offense, I love Cleveland, but there is a NATIONAL PARK NEXT TO IT??? And in Pennsylvnaia, all we get is a crappy Delaware Water Gap National RECREATION AREA??? Sorry, Cleveland, but when I think “National Park”, I think, Old Faithful, Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier and Yogi Bear. . . . . . . . . . . CLEVELAND??? Come on what is next? “A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN NATIONAL PARK???” “SOUTH CENTRAL NATIONAL PARK???” 😃 . . . . Thus ends YOUR “BONUS RANT”!!! ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/2 "2002-03-26T02:27:32Z")
A quick difference: A National Monument can be declared thus (from otherwise non-descript federal land) by Executive Order. It takes an Act of Congress to make a National Park. In fairly recent times, both Death Valley NM and Joshua Tree NM have been elevated to Park status by Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/3 "2002-03-26T02:44:43Z")
Did you bother to go through the NPS web site? I guess not - see [http://www.nps.gov/legacy/criteria.html](http://www.nps.gov/legacy/criteria.html) and [http://www.nps.gov/legacy/nomenclature.html](http://www.nps.gov/legacy/nomenclature.html) You can find what you seek if you know where to look - sheesh! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/4 "2002-03-26T02:47:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > Are you kdding me??? Look, no offense, I love Cleveland, but there is a NATIONAL PARK NEXT TO IT??? And in Pennsylvnaia, all we get is a crappy Delaware Water Gap National RECREATION AREA??? The following are national park areas within Pennsylvania: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Appalachian National Scenic Trail Delaware National Scenic River Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Deshler-Morris House National Historic Site Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site Eisenhower National Historic Site Fort Necessity National Battlefield Friendship Hill National Historic Site Gettysburg National Military Park Gettysburg National Cemetery Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Independence National Historical Park Johnstown Flood National Memorial Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Steamtown National Historic Site Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River Valley Forge National Historical Park ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/5 "2002-03-26T03:15:41Z")
By the way, Cuyahoga Valley National Park (when I lived there it was still an NRA) is some beautiful land. There are large natural rock formations, caves, and beautiful woodlands and ravines. It’s really a nice place. I only learned that they made it a National Park about 2 months ago. I grew up just south of Akron and used to go up there all the time in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/6 "2002-03-26T03:47:38Z")
Heck, I only learned that it was a National Park about two minutes ago. Not to disparage Cuyahoga Valley, or anything, but having been there many a time, I would tend to agree with **Vinnie** : I suspect some porkbarreling here. Sure, it’s beautiful land, but it’s far from the same class as Yellowstone. **Duckster** , you’ll notice that none of those Pennsylvania areas is a National Park. A “National Historical Park” is not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/7 "2002-03-26T04:05:24Z")
Er, Vinnie, it ain’t exactly “next to Cleveland”. You make it sound like it’s some podunk little city park. It’s about 30,000 acres, 15 miles long by 1 to 5 miles wide–it’s basically the whole river valley between Cleveland and Akron. It was a National Recreation Area since 1974. And it’s got a ton of historic stuff–canal, railroad, Indian stuff, you name it. [http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us\_nra/oh\_cuya.htm](http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nra/oh_cuya.htm) Actually, I think it’s pretty cool that the same National Parks pass that gets you into Yellowstone will work in lil old Ohio. 😃 Anyway, to address the OP’s question, “what’s the difference?” Brace yourself. [http://www.nps.gov/legacy/nomenclature.html](http://www.nps.gov/legacy/nomenclature.html) > [@](#): > > National Park: These are generally large natural places having a wide variety of attributes, at times including significant historic assets. Hunting, mining and consumptive activities are not authorized. > > National Monument: The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorized the President to declare by public proclamation landmarks, structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest situated on lands owned or controlled by the government to be national monuments. > > National Preserve: National preserves are areas having characteristics associated with national parks, but in which Congress has permitted continued public hunting, trapping, oil/gas exploration and extraction. Many existing national preserves, without sport hunting, would qualify for national park designation. > > National Historic Site: Usually, a national historic sitecontains a single historical feature that was directly associated with its subject. Derived from the Historic Sites Act of 1935, a number of historic sites were established by secretaries of the Interior, but most have been authorized by acts of Congress. > > National Historical Park: This designation generally applies to historic parks that extend beyond single properties or buildings. > > National Memorial: A national memorial is commemorative of a historic person or episode; it need not occupy a site historically connected with its subject. > > National Battlefield: This general title includes national battlefield, national battlefield park, national battlefield site, and national military park. In 1958, an NPS committee recommended national battlefield as the single title for all such park lands. > > National Cemetery: There are presently 14 national cemeteries in the National Park System, all of which are administered in conjunction with an associated unit and are not accounted for separately. > > National Recreation Area: Twelve NRAs in the system are centered on large reservoirs and emphasize water-based recreation. Five other NRAs are located near major population centers. Such urban parks combine scarce open spaces with the preservation of significant historic resources and important natural areas in location that can provide outdoor recreation for large numbers of people. > > National Seashore: Ten national seashores have been established on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts; some are developed and some relatively primitive. Hunting is allowed at many of these sites. > > National Lakeshore: National lakeshores, all on the GreatLakes, closely parallel the seashores in character and use. > > National River: There are several variations to this category: national river and recreation area, national scenic river, wild river, etc. The first was authorized in 1964 and others were established following passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. > > National Parkway: The title parkway refers to a roadway and the parkland paralleling the roadway. All were intended for scenic motoring along a protected corridor and often connect cultural sites. > > National Trail: National scenic trails and national historic trails are the titles given to these linear parklands (over 3,600 miles) authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968. > > Affliated Areas: In an Act of August 18, 1970, the National Park System was defined in law as, “any area of land and water now or hereafter administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the National Park Service for park, monument, historic, parkway, recreational or other purposes.” The Affiliated Areas comprise a variety of locations in the United States and Canada that preserve significant properties outside the National Park System. Some of these have been recognized by Acts of Congress, others have been designated national historic sites by the Secretary of the Interior under authority of the Historic Sites Act of 1935. All draw on technical or financial aid from the National Park Service. > > Other Designations: Some units of the National Park System bear unique titles or combinations of titles, like the White House and Prince William Forest Park. Well, you _did_ ask… 😃 your tax dollars at work ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/8 "2002-03-26T05:17:41Z")
Damn, talk about coming down with a case of the “dumbass” . . for some reason I couldn’t find ANY of that stuff on the nps site . . .must have been that infamous “browser” problem. :o Anyway, the more I look at it, Cuyahoga looks like a VERY nice place … .but a NATIONAL PARK??? Come on now . . . it sounds like several STATE parks that I have been to! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheJackOfHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheJackOfHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheJackOfHearts)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/9 "2002-03-26T11:16:30Z")
There are a good deal of state parks that could easily be national parks. Usually it’s just that the state owned the land first and obviously doesn’t want to turn it over to the federal government. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/10 "2002-03-27T04:20:33Z")
Eh, Vinnie, don’t beat yourself up–they had it cleverly hidden, and it took me a while to follow the clues and solve the puzzle. Scooby Doo, you did it! 😃 1. Start at NPS Home page. [http://www.nps.gov/](http://www.nps.gov/) 2. Ignore picture of Eleanor Roosevelt (why is _she_ on the NPS Home Page? No clue, don’t care…) Scan list on right. “Info Zone, Servicewide Information” sounds right, if a bit redundant. 3. Ah, the Info Zone, [http://www.nps.gov/pub\_aff/index.htm](http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/index.htm) Scan list on right. Let’s check the FAQ, see what’s in there. 4. The FAQ. [http://www.nps.gov/pub\_aff/e-mail/faqs.htm](http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/e-mail/faqs.htm) Scroll down…hmm…“Who is the director of the National Park Service?” Don’t know, don’t care…keep going…Ah ha, “How many areas are there in the National Park system?” and , "Learn More about National Park Designations. " And there it is. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/11 "2002-03-27T04:49:53Z")
Two further designations that haven’t been mentioned so far: **National Forests** and **National Grasslands** - administered by the DOI. These are distinctly different from National Parks in that consumptive activites are allowed like logging, grazing, mining, and general recreation. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/12 "2002-03-27T04:54:11Z")
Oops … forgot to mention federally designated **Wilderness Areas**. In simple terms, regions that are returning to their natural state where motorized activity is prohibited and manmade structures are removed. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/13 "2002-03-27T06:37:59Z")
Duckgoose, thank you for helping me to not feel like such an ass-clown! 😃 Now, again, Mr. Searchy and Google have turned up little of use, is there anyone that can tell me how in the HELL Cuyahoga got turned into a National Park? There has GOT to be a smoke filled room deal SOMEWHERE! Again, I am not knocking Cleveland, and yes, the area it seems like a nice place . . but Cuyahoga does NOT belong in the same breath as “Yellowstone”. . . . Not even the area 50 miles around Cleveland. I live in Allentown, PA, and I cannot think of any areas that deserve to be national parks around here, NOT EVEN the Delaware Gap, and definitely not the Poconos! That crook James Trafficante wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would he??? But isn’t Mr. 70s Guy from Youngstown . . . how about Don King . . . 😃 THE MYSTERY CONTINUES . . . ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/14 "2002-03-27T14:43:58Z")
Cuyahoga Valley National Park was created in December 1974 when Gerald Ford signed the enacting legislation. It was meant to thwart sprawl and provide a greenspace for city dwellers. Here’s a description from [GORP: CVNP, Ohio](http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nra/oh/oh_cuya4.htm): “In the early 1960s spreading development threatened to take over this valley. Individual citizens joined forces with state and local governments to save the greenspace and historic features. Their efforts crossed paths with the National Park Service, which was then establishing urban recreation areas as a way to bring national parks to people living in cities. In 1974, Congress created CVNRA as an urban park of the National Park System. The National Park Service manages the park in cooperation with others who own property within its boundaries, including Cleveland Metroparks and Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, both of which administer several units within CVNRA. Together they protect the natural landscape, preserve remnants of the area’s human history, and provide a place where you can relax, play, and learn new things in a beautiful outdoor setting.” ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/15 "2002-03-27T14:50:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\*Two further designations that haven’t been mentioned so far: **National Forests** and **National Grasslands** - administered by the DOI. These are distinctly different from National Parks in that consumptive activites are allowed like logging, grazing, mining, and general recreation. \*\* Nope. The National Forests are _not_ administered by the DOI, but by the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture): [http://www.fs.fed.us/](http://www.fs.fed.us/) I don’t have time to look into it right now, but I’m pretty sure that National Grasslands are also under the USDA. One further note: mining is alowed in one National Park – Death Valley. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/16 "2002-03-27T14:54:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pantellerite \* > \*\* … but by the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture) \*\* correct. yet another reason not to post so late at night. Thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![TheJackOfHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheJackOfHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheJackOfHearts)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/17 "2002-03-27T20:20:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\*Cuyahoga Valley National Park was created in December 1974 when Gerald Ford signed the enacting legislation. It was meant to thwart sprawl and provide a greenspace for city dwellers. Here’s a description from [GORP: CVNP, Ohio](http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nra/oh/oh_cuya4.htm): > > "…In 1974, Congress created CVNRA as an urban park of the National Park System…\*\* If you read that closely, that explains how it got to be a National Recreation Area. It has already been established in this thread that there is a difference between Recreation Areas and National Parks. I myself think that the area would make a fine recreation areas, but National Parks IMO require something more spectacular or unique, for instance Dry Tortugas and Death Valley, two national parks moved up from national monument status in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/18 "2002-03-27T21:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > \*\*Duckgoose, thank you for helping me to not feel like such an ass-clown! 😃 > > Now, again, Mr. Searchy and Google have turned up little of use, is there anyone that can tell me how in the HELL Cuyahoga got turned into a National Park? There has GOT to be a smoke filled room deal SOMEWHERE! > > Again, I am not knocking Cleveland, and yes, the area it seems like a nice place . . but Cuyahoga does NOT belong in the same breath as “Yellowstone”. . . . > > Not even the area 50 miles around Cleveland. I live in Allentown, PA, and I cannot think of any areas that deserve to be national parks around here, NOT EVEN the Delaware Gap, and definitely not the Poconos! > > That crook James Trafficante wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would he??? But isn’t Mr. 70s Guy from Youngstown . . . how about Don King . . . 😃 > > THE MYSTERY CONTINUES . . . \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/19 "2002-03-27T21:13:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > \*\* > > Again, I am not knocking Cleveland, and yes, the area it seems like a nice place . . but Cuyahoga does NOT belong in the same breath as “Yellowstone”. . . . > \*\* I totally agree with you that it is not the same quality of park as Yellowstone, but not all parks are the same. I’ve been to several National Parks: Lassen Volcanic NP, Cuyahoga Valley NP, Grand Canyon NP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, and Acadia NP. I might have left one or two out, but I’m not sure. Anyway, of all those, CV NP is probably the least spectacular, but it’s still very nice. Smoky Mountains NP is very nice, but still nothing like Grand Canyon…Not every park needs to be like Glacier NP to qualify. **Sorry that this posted without my text originally, the board was messing up with DNS errors and such.** ---
**Author:** ![altor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@altor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-park-vs-national-monument-vs-national-rec-area-plus-a-bonus-rant/100109/20 "2002-03-27T22:30:09Z")
If any legal historians want to take this up (IANAL at all), the Cuyahoga name change was part of H.R. 4578 which became Public Law 106-291 on October 11, 2000.