National Park Service/About

About Us

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we are proud to safeguard these nearly 400 places and to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. But our work doesn’t stop there.

We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun.

Taking care of the national parks and helping Americans take care of their communities is a job we love, and we need – and welcome – your help and support.

What We Do

National Park Service by the Numbers*

• $48,000,000,000 incentivized in private historic preservation investment
• 11,700,000,000 visitors
• $5,409,252,508 in preservation and outdoor recreation grants awarded
• $2,750,000,000 annual budget
• 121,603,193 objects in museum collections
• 97,417,260 volunteer hours
• 84,000,000 acres of land
• 4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
• 2,482,104 volunteers
• 218,000 jobs supported in gateway communities
• 85,049 miles of perennial rivers and streams
• 68,561 archeological sites
• 43,162 miles of shoreline
• 28,000 employees
• 27,000 historic structures
• 2,461 national historic landmarks
• 582 national natural landmarks
• 400 endangered species
• 392 national parks
• 40 national heritage areas
• 1 mission: The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

• numbers are cumulative through the end of FY 2008

Download our annual report

Our Employees More than 20,000 strong, the uncommon men and women of the National Park Service share a common trait: a passion for caring for the nation’s special places and sharing their stories.

   * Employee Directory
   * Work With Us
   * Volunteer
   * Our Partners

How We Are Organized The National Park Service is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and is led by a Director nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The Director is supported by senior executives who manage national programs, policy, and budget in the Washington, DC, headquarters and seven regional directors responsible for national park management and program implementation. Collectively, these executives make up our National Leadership Council.

NPS Organizational Chart (pdf- 106k)

Contact Washington Office Contact Regional Offices Contact Parks

Learn More

• Overview
• Public Use Statistics
• Park Planning
• NPS Timeline

Quicklinks

• The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
• Laws & Policies
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Photos and Multimedia
• Maps