The U.S. National Park Service turned 100 today! Commemorating the day President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that established the preservation-focused bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Smithsonian Channel this Sunday night (Aug 28) will air America’s National Parks at 100, an hour-long special looking at the Service’s fascinating and pioneering past.

Here’s a description from the Smithsonian Channel:

The poster-child parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon all have rich scenery and surprising histories. But of the more than 400 places now managed by the Park Service, many are preserved not just for their scenery, but for their importance to the American story, scientific inquiry and preservation of our national treasures.

If you have the time this Sunday, it’s well worth watching, and not only for the incredible vistas. History buffs will appreciate how the American Park Service continues to shed light on our past. My favorite part was discovering some new, lesser-known destinations to add to my bucket list like the Gulf Islands National Seashore and the Gateway National Recreation Area right here in the NY/NJ region.

Check out America’s National Parks at 100 this Sunday on the Smithsonian Channel at 8:00PM Eastern and during subsequent airings. Below is a list of the parks featured in the special. (H/T @SmithsonianChan)

Alaska – Wrangell St. Elias National Park
Arizona – Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest
California – Channel Islands, Sequoia National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Yosemite
Massachusetts – Cape Cod National Seashore
Mississippi/Florida – Gulf Islands National Seashore
Nevada – Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
New Mexico – Chaco Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns
Oregon – Crater Lake
Pennsylvania – Gettysburg
Washington – Mount Rainier, North Cascades National Park
Washington D.C. – Rock Creek Park
Wisconsin – Apostle Islands
Wyoming – Yellowstone Park, Devil’s Tower

Image Credit: Smithsonian Channel