President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the act creating the National Park Service to leave natural and historic phenomenons 'unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.' Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and showcase the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage. Many parks were forced to close to combat the spread of the virus, but that's not the whole story-when the parks were open, many of them saw record crowds as throngs of people desperate to safely enjoy nature descended onto parks when they reopened. Approximately 237 million people visited American national parks in 2020, representing a 28% year-over-year decrease attributed to the coronavirus pandemic.
