National Parks History Project

Null Cipher Systems

About this app

Every U.S. national park has an official story — and a real one. National Parks History Project is your offline guide to the real one.

Discover honest, fact-checked histories of all 63 national parks. Whether you are uncovering the untold stories of Yosemite's Buffalo Soldiers, exploring the Indigenous histories of Yellowstone, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, or researching the complex land acquisitions, displaced homesteaders, and 19th-century construction of parks like Mammoth Cave and Dry Tortugas, this historical companion tells the unvarnished truth. Learn about the diverse peoples whose lives shaped these lands—from the Indigenous nations who lived there for millennia to the local communities, laborers, and early builders who were displaced or forgotten to create them.

Because history is a living subject, so is this app. We are constantly researching and updating the project, ensuring every park's account is independently audited against the latest academic scholarship, tribal historians, and investigative journalism.

What’s new

Ten parks deepened with new archival research: Hot Springs, Big Bend, Congaree, Crater Lake, Cuyahoga Valley, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Carlsbad Caverns, Biscayne, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison -- corrected myths, added named women and Black history, closed sourcing gaps.

Plus: report an error straight from Settings, a daily-rotating featured park, and reader-UI fixes.

Every claim independently sourced.