Eben Schaefer caught this beauty on the Upper Yellowstone in the Park.
Photo courtesy Hubbard’s Yellowstone Lodge
Today is the 100th birthday of our incredible National Park Service, which was created on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law. The mission of this new agency was “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” It was a remarkable declaration of the importance of wilderness to the country’s identity, and all of us anglers should be thankful for the foresight of those visionaries who campaigned hard to make sure that Congress passed the act.
There are now 58 National Parks in the system, and many of them offer wonderful fishing opportunities. Over the years, we have featured many of these parks on the Fly Fishing blog. Here’s just a selection:
Yellowstone National Park
Photo Essay: Dry-Fly Heaven in Yellowstone National Park
Video: 6(ish) Steps To Surviving Yellowstone National Park with Hank Patterson
Photo of the Day: Stunning Yellowstone Cutthroat
Classic Story: Into the Yellowstone Backcountry, Part I
Classic Story: Into the Yellowstone Backcountry, Part II
Classic Photos: A Guides’ Day in Yellowstone
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Video: Backcountry Brook Trout In Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Photos: A Solo Brook-Trout Journey in GSMNP
Shenandoah National Park
Video: The Way It Began
Everglades National Park
Video: Master of the Everglades
Pictures of the Day: Flamingo Reds
Katmai National Park
Video: The Good Ol’ Days in Alaska’s Katmai National Park
Yosemite National Park
Fly-Fishing Picture of the Day: El Capitan de Brook Trout
To celebrate the anniversary, the National Park Service is releasing a cool collection of Forever stamps. Click here for more information.
If I had the $$$, I would love to buy an RV and visit all of them!