National Natural Landmark facts for kids

The Trona Pinnacles with its special sign.

Shiprock National Natural Landmark.

A special plaque for Wissahickon Valley in Philadelphia.

The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program helps protect amazing natural places in the United States. It's the only program that finds and celebrates the best examples of biological (living things) and geological (earth features) sites. These sites can be on land owned by the government or by private citizens. The program started on May 18, 1962, thanks to United States Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall.

The main goal of the NNL program is to encourage people to protect places that show the amazing geological and natural history of the U.S. It also helps people understand and value the country's natural treasures. As of January 2021, there are 602 National Natural Landmarks! These special places are found in 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Park Service runs the NNL Program. They can help owners of these landmarks take care of their sites, but only if the owners ask for help. The program does NOT aim to buy land for the government. National Natural Landmarks are important places owned by many different people and groups, and joining the program is completely up to them.

The NNL Program is based on a law called the Historic Sites Act from 1935. Being named a National Natural Landmark means the owner agrees to try and keep the site's special natural features safe. The owner is responsible for taking care of the landmark. Either the owner or the government can end this agreement if they tell the other party.

How a Place Becomes a Landmark
Who Owns These Special Places?
Can You Visit a Landmark?
What Happens to the Property?
See also
Images for kids

How a Place Becomes a Landmark

A place becomes a National Natural Landmark when the Secretary of the Interior approves it. This happens after scientists do a very careful study of the site. The owner of the land must also agree to the designation. The process is very strict: to become an NNL, a site must be one of the very best examples of nature or geology in its area.

Since 1970, these are the steps to make a site a National Natural Landmark:

First, experts look at a natural area to find the most promising sites.
Next, the landowners are told that their site is being considered. Then, different scientists visit the site to study it in detail.
After that, other experts review the study report to make sure it's accurate and well-done.
The National Park Service staff also reviews the report.
Then, a special board called the National Park Advisory Board checks the site to see if it truly qualifies as an NNL.
Finally, the Secretary of the Interior gets all the information and decides whether to approve the site or not.
If approved, the landowners are told for a third time that their site is now a National Natural Landmark!

Sites that can become NNLs include natural areas with plants and animals, amazing rock formations, places that show how the Earth has changed over time, and spots with fossils that tell us about how life has evolved. Each main natural theme can be broken down into smaller topics. For example, for the theme "Lakes and ponds," smaller topics could be deep lakes, shallow lakes, crater lakes, oxbow lakes, and swamps.

Who Owns These Special Places?

The NNL program does not require landmarks to be owned by the government. Many different types of owners have NNLs on their land. This includes federal (U.S. government), state, local, city, and private owners.

Federal lands with NNLs are managed by groups like the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Some NNLs are also on lands owned by Native American tribes.

States also own many NNLs, which can be found in state forests, parks, and wildlife areas. Private owners with NNLs include universities, museums, conservation groups, businesses, and even individuals. About 52% of NNLs are managed by public agencies, over 30% are entirely privately owned, and the rest are a mix of public and private ownership.

Can You Visit a Landmark?

Being part of the NNL Program doesn't mean a place has to be open to the public. Many NNLs are open for people to visit, but some are not. Since many NNLs are on government-owned land, you often don't need special permission to visit. Some private NNLs might be open to visitors, or you might just need to ask the manager for permission.

However, some private NNL owners prefer no visitors at all. They might even take legal action against trespassers. Their reasons vary: they might worry about damage to their property, or the natural features might be fragile or dangerous. Some simply want privacy or don't want their special place to become too famous.

What Happens to the Property?

When a property becomes an NNL, it's an agreement between the owner and the U.S. government. This special title does not change who owns the property. It also doesn't add any new rules or burdens to the land. If the property is sold, its NNL status does not automatically transfer to the new owner.

Joining the NNL Program means the landowner voluntarily promises to keep their NNL property in good condition, just as it was when it was named a landmark. If a landowner plans to cause major damage to the natural habitat or landscape, then being part of the NNL Program wouldn't make sense.

The NNL designation itself doesn't add any new rules about how the land can be used. However, it's possible that state or local governments might create their own rules or zoning laws that could apply to an NNL. But as of 2005, no such cases had been found. Some states do require planners to know where NNLs are located.

Images for kids

Bottle Creek in Alabama.
The Aniakchak Caldera in Alaska.
Fagatogo Dock in American Samoa.
The famous Barringer Crater in Arizona.
Mammoth Spring in Arkansas.
Carrizo Plain in California.
Summit Lake Park in Colorado.
Dinosaur footprints at Dinosaur State Park, Connecticut.
Manatee Springs State Park in Florida.
The Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.
Two Lovers Point in Guam.
Diamond Head in Hawaii.
City of Rocks in Idaho.
Illinois Beach State Park.
Formations inside Marengo Cave in Indiana.
The Loess Hills of Iowa.
Rock City in Kansas.
Tater Knob in Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky.
Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp in Maryland.
Gay Head cliffs in Massachusetts.
The Porcupine Mountains in Michigan.
Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
The Petrified Forest in Mississippi.
Marvel Cave in Missouri.
Fossil shorelines of Lake Missoula in Montana.
The Sand Hills of Nebraska.
Valley of Fire in Nevada.
Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
The Great Falls of the Passaic River in New Jersey.
Round Lake in New York.
Pilot Mountain in North Carolina.
Cedar Bog in Ohio.
Vista House in Oregon.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.
Limestone cliffs in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
Ell Pond, a kettle hole in Rhode Island.
Congaree Swamp in South Carolina.
The Needles in Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Black Mountain in Tennessee.
Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Utah.
Mount Mansfield in Vermont.
Salt River Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia.
Moses Coulee in Washington.
Germany Valley in West Virginia.
Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin.
Como Bluff in Wyoming.

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National Natural Landmark Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.