When the National Park Service was established in August of 1916, the Interior Department was already responsible for the maintenance of 14 national parks and 21 national monuments.

Today, that total has risen to well over 400 units, spanning 19 different name designations from national parks to lakeshores to battlefields, memorials,

preserves, and parkways, just to name a few. And it's evident that after the designation of Yellowstone,

our first national park, the country was eager to continue protecting sites of historic and

environmental importance. But that number wasn't always going up.

In Michigan, the country's second national park would be established in 1875, only to be

re-designated just 20 years later as the state's first state park.

Likewise, a cave name for its position overlooking the trail of Lewis and Clark would

begin its protected

life as an early national monument before later joining a growing number of state parks in the

U.S. And in Oklahoma, a former national park remains preserved under the jurisdiction of the

Park Service, providing key insight into the conversation of how and why we protect the places

that we do for generations to come. I'm Jason Epperson, and this is Parkography. Join us this

week as we explore three parks you won't find in your National Park Passport, Mackinac National Park,

Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument, and Platt National Park.

More in a moment, but first, thanks to this week's sponsor Slinky Stove. It's the only patented

collapsible fire pit that stays intact when packed. Lightweight with a compact design,

it's perfect for RVers and car campers, and it sets up in seconds.

With slinky stove, you get smokeless airflow rings and a clean burning fire. No more dancing

around campfire smoke. Inexensive and packed with extras, the slinky stove offers a three-level

cooking system that gives you flexibility, whether it's morning coffee or evening campfire chili,

and with contained ash, cleanups quick and easy, just the way it should be on public lands.

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