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The idea of setting aside lands for what might be described as “nature recreation” has a long and storied history in many of the ancient civilizations of the world. Royal forests, sacred grounds surrounding temples, or village commons existed well before any American declared a patch of land a “national park.” What makes these tracts of land different, however, is both their intended use and their intended users. American national parks represent the culmination of several disparate ideas into one common desire to create a place for citizens to experience the natural world.