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Park Brochures ◆ Site Bulletins ◆ Trading Cards Over the years, variously named General Information Regarding, Circulars of Information, Official Map and Guide, Rules and Regulations, Guidebooks, Mini-folders, Midi-folders, Unigrids and simply Park Brochures, besides memories, probably the number one memento from anyone's park visit is the park brochure.
Since 1977 the designs of all new brochures (and handbooks) have been based on the "Unigrid System" format, created by designer Massimo Vignelli in collaboration with the National Park Service's Harpers Ferry Center's design staff. A modular grid system for layout of text and graphics, black bands at the top and bottom of the brochures, and a standardized typeface (originally Helvetica and Times Roman; now Frutiger and NPS Rawlinson). Standard map formats complete the presentation, helping to establish a uniform identity for National Park Service brochures. The NPS Arrowhead was added to the black band in 1999.
Today, the official park brochures are known for their reliability, thoroughness, visual appeal, and standard design elements that contribute to the National Park Service graphic identity. As park visitation increases and personal services decrease, the onsite portability of publications gives them a significant role in providing visitors with interpretive, logistical, and safety information. Most parks also produce Site Bulletins — these handouts (available at park visitor centers) cover specific topics, including additional helpful recreational information (camping, hiking, fishing), natural history (animal checklists, plants, geology) and cultural resources (indigenous cultures, historic use). Cooperating associations also provide (usually for a small fee) trail booklets or other handouts, in cooperation with NPS staff, to augment NPS literature. Many National Park Service units also have accompanying Park Handbooks (Historical or Natural History). Most of the older Handbooks are now online, whereas the newer handbooks are not in the public domain (due to photograph copyright restrictions). An excellent collection of maps from many of the Unigrid brochures can be found at National Park Maps, along with a complete collection on the official National Park Service website. The Library of Congress hosts a collection of brochures (mostly Unigrids) on their website (categorized as Maps).
In the Web pages that follow, digital editions of selected park brochures are available (denoted with a colored caption) — just click on the brochure cover for a PDF version of its contents. In the case of the Unigrid brochures, the National Park Service elected to contract with professional illustrators and photographers to produce the artwork and photographs; these photos and artwork are not in the public domain (the text is in the public domain, but the artwork/photos are not). Permission must be secured directly from the individual copyright owners to reproduce these copyrighted works. Additionally, most booklets/pamphlets produced by cooperating associations are cover-only (as they are copyrighted). The brochure covers represent only a portion of the original artwork. The brochures contained in these Web pages are historical in scope and are intended solely for educational purposes, as well as are accessible for individuals with disabilities — they are not meant as an aid for travel planning — please refer to the official National Park Service website for current information. The dates under each Unigrid brochure may not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued (most brochures are simply reprinted every year or two, sometimes with minor changes, but the different year ranges reflect substantive changes made to the brochure, such as a new cover, map, or content changes). A special thanks goes to Greg Miller, Jeff Ohlfs and Bruce Pape, as well as many others, who have shared their personal brochures collections; also, thanks to Jeff for sharing his extensive trading card collection. Their contributions have greatly enhanced this online collection — we are eternally grateful!
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a sister agency of the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior. Established in 1903, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is entrusted with managing over 560 refuges and 38 wetland management districts, along with 70 National Fish Hatcheries, seven Fish Technology Centers and nine Fish Health Centers. For educational purposes, we are also showcasing a collection of National Wildlife Refuge / National Fish Hatchery brochures/booklets which the USFWS has produced.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a sister agency of the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior. Established in 1946, the Bureau of Land Management manages over 247 million acres of land in the U.S. For educational purposes, below is a small sampling of brochures/booklets which the BLM has produced over the years.
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This Website is not affiliated with the National Park Service (NPS). Due diligence has been employed in the conversion of these documents into electronic format so as to maintain the accuracy of the original — these electronic editions are neither endorsed by, nor in affiliation with, the agencies who originally created these works.