Critical Thinking Questions   Home       If you'd like to print out this page, click the Print button above. Alternatively, you may click the printer icon on your browser's toolbar, or choose File>Print from the menu.     In 1890, Yosemite was declared a National Park. What is the significance of naming an area, such as Yosemite, a "National Park?" Years later, in 1916, Congress established the National Park Service. What do you think prompted the government to create the National Park System? In the early 1900's, most Americans still had not visited the wilderness in a National Park like Yosemite. If most of the public had not experienced this "wilderness," what do you think their perceptions of it were at this time? John Muir, legendary naturalist, led the fight for preservation of outdoor wilderness areas, such as Yosemite. What sort of opposition to the preservation of wilderness areas would you anticipate - governmental or otherwise? In your opinion, what purpose do National Parks serve in the United States?