What makes a national park?

Answer 1

A national park is a reserve of land, usually owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. National parks are a protected area of IUCN category II. The largest national park in the world is the Northeast Greenland National Park, which was established in 1974. The number of areas managed by the National Park Service in the United States of America consists of over 400 different sites, of which 58 carry the designation of National Park.

Answer 2

In the United States, National Parks are areas designated by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service (NPS). The National Park Service's mandate is "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." The NPS manages over 390 sites in the US including large wilderness areas and small historic sites. National Parks are funded partly by federal tax dollars and partly by fees collected on site. The National Park Service is a division of the Department of the Interior. National Parks are considered significant parts of the heritage of all Americans. Other significant sites are managed by state, county, or city governments or are established as recreation areas.

Answer 3

Depends on what you mean by "special." Federal law requite that a national park must "Have relatively spacious land and water areas, so outstanding in quality and beauty as to make imperative their preservation by the federal government for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all people."

So I guess all national parks have outstanding quality and beauty. That does not mean that every person will be impressed with every national park. It only means that the U.S. federal government thinks the area is outstanding.