America’s national parks feel permanent today, but several came surprisingly close to being developed, mined, logged, or flooded before they received protection.
1. Grand Canyon National Park
Long before becoming a national park in 1919, the Grand Canyon attracted mining companies hoping to profit from its mineral deposits.
Conservationists, including President Theodore Roosevelt, pushed for federal protection, arguing that the canyon was too extraordinary to lose to commercial development.
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Unlike many western parks, the Great Smoky Mountains contained thousands of privately owned properties.
During the 1920s and 1930s, citizens, businesses, and governments raised millions of dollars to purchase the land before logging permanently changed the landscape.
3. Everglades National Park
Large portions of Florida’s Everglades were once viewed as swampland that should be drained for farming and development.
Conservation efforts eventually protected much of the ecosystem, leading to the creation of Everglades National Park in 1947.
4. Olympic National Park
Washington’s Olympic Peninsula supported valuable timber industries for decades.
Conservationists fought to preserve its old-growth forests, glaciers, and wildlife before widespread logging transformed the region.
5. Redwood National Park
By the mid-20th century, nearly all of California’s original old-growth redwood forests had already been logged.
Public pressure and conservation campaigns helped secure federal protection in 1968, preserving some of the tallest trees on Earth.
6. Acadia National Park
Much of Mount Desert Island could have become private resorts and residential developments.
Instead, philanthropists purchased and donated large sections of land, helping establish Acadia as the first national park east of the Mississippi River.
