The America's National Parks Podcast is sponsored by L.L.Bien

L.L.Bien has partnered with the National Park Foundation to help you find your

happy place.

And with more than 400 national parks,

there's a good chance you'll find one close to home.

Discover your perfect day in a park

at find your park.com. The National Park designation of Americans.

The National Park designation has become one of the most prestigious terms in the English language.

National Parks have stirred the imagination of Americans

ever since they were dreamed up

and a recent focus has been sparked by the confluence of social media sharing

like YouTube and Instagram, the Park Service's recent

100th anniversary, and incredible documentaries like Ken Burns America's Best

Idea. But the structure of the National Park system remains a mystery to many casual

visitors. Some of it's even confusing to the National Park expert. What exactly makes a national park?

This popular

This popularity combined with politics and the promise of tourism dollars has driven government officials to leverage the park system to fit their agendas in recent years.

It's time to step back.

Take a look at the whole picture

and take stock of what we have and what we haven't.

I'm Jason Epperson, and on today's

today's episode of America's National Parks I thought we'd take a look at the

...