FALSE

Hi there! I'd love to help you clear up the history of this beautiful park! While it’s a common mistake, the claim that Yosemite was the first national park is false 1 12. Officially, Yellowstone National Park holds the title of the first national park in the United States, established on March 1, 1872 1 12 14. Yosemite was actually designated as the third national park by an Act of Congress on October 1, 1890 1 7 13. However, I can see where the confusion comes from! Yosemite was indeed the first instance of the federal government setting aside land for protection. On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, which protected the land for public use and resort 3 6 12. Because this happened eight years before Yellowstone was created, some historians argue that “in fact, if not in name, Yosemite was the first national park” 4. But in terms of official status, it didn't join the national park system until nearly three decades after Lincoln's grant 1 13.