National Public Lands Day is recognized on the fourth Saturday in September every year. This year, we marked the date with a National Public Lands Day trivia and information night livestream on our BeBodacious YouTube channel. The stream highlighted the broad range of U.S. public lands. From hiking to history, there is a public land for everyone.
What is National Public Lands Day?
National Public Lands Day is the country’s largest single-day volunteer event to help our public lands. According to the National Park Service, National Public Lands Day originated in 1994. Thousdands of volunteers come together annual to clean creeks, maintain trails or perform service projects to improve public lands across the country.
What are National Public Lands?
Wilderness.org defines public lands as “areas of land and water that today are owned collectively by U.S. citizens and managed by government agencies” They are different from private lands which are owned by individuals, non-government organizations or businesses.
Are entrance fees charged on National Public Lands Day?
NPLD is also a “Fee-Free Day” – when entrance fees are waived at all national parks and other public lands. In total, the National Parks offer free admission for 6 Days in 2021.
What agency manages national public lands:
Bureau of Land Management
US Forest Service
National Park Service
Fish and Wildlife Service
What are National Public Lands?
Wilderness.org defines public lands as “areas of land and water that today are owned collectively by U.S. citizens and managed by government agencies”. They different from private lands which are owned by individuals, non-government organizations or businesses.
What are different types of public lands?
The U.S. has a huge range of variety when it comes to public lands. The Department of the Interior explains what the differences are between the lands in their article America’s Public Lands Explained. Each type has a different focus. The list includes:
National Parks Forests
Wildlife Refuges Conservation Areas
Monuments Wildernesses
Historic Sites Memorials
Battlefields Preserves
Recreation Areas Wild and Scenic Rivers
Seashores Lakeshores
National Trails
Enjoying public lands at the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Summer 2021.
Trivia Questions
These are the trivia questions we presented on our livestream. Except where the answers pertain to general knowlege, the sources for the answers are linked below. Use them to stump your friends or increase your own knowledge.
1. Yellowstone National Park is an example of national public lands Yes / No
Answer: Yes
2. Are all public lands free all year? Yes / No
Answer: No
Although some public lands are free, there are many which have an entrance fee. In some cases, a parking charge fee will be charged instead of an entrace fee.
3. How many acres does the The National Wilderness Preservation System oversee?
A. 50 million acres, B 109 million acres, C. 200,000 million acres
Answer: 109 million acres
4. The largest wilderness area in the U.S. is:
A. Pelican Island Wilderness, Florida
B. Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness, Alaska
C. Blackbeard Island, Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia
Answer: B. At 9,432,000 acres, the Wragnell- Saint Elias Wilderness in Alaska is the largest wilderness area in the United States.
5. Per Visitation Numbers (U.S. National Park Service) What is the most visited national park named destination?
Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina
6. The most popular national monument according to Travel and Leisure is:
A Golden Gate Bridge, B. Lincoln Memorial, C. Statue of Liberty
Answer: B. Lincoln Memorial – 5,971,220 annual visitors
Note: Public lands saw an overall gain in visitors in 2021. Parks may be more crowded than usual. Social distancing and mask mandates are in effect. Keep up with the latest by visiting the website for the location(s) that you want to visit.
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