National Park Service is a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. It manages the approximately 420 areas of the National Park System. The National Park Service preserves many natural landscapes and historic and archaeological sites and structures. The bureau was established in 1916, when the U.S. park system consisted of 37 areas. These areas included Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park (see Yellowstone National Park ). The U.S. secretary of the interior appoints a director to head the bureau in its Washington, D.C., headquarters. The bureau has seven regional offices and a number of centers that provide support services.
See also National cemetery ; National Park System ; National Trails System .
