Delaware Gets A National Park (Maybe)

Delaware congressmen plan to introduce legislation granting a NPS unit to the only state without one

Stop holding your breath, Delaware—the First State could finally get a national park. As the only state without a National Park Service unit within its borders (even puny Rhode Island has Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor), the state's congressional delegation hopes to introduce legislation today establishing a new national park.

But before you get excited about discovering a previously unheralded Mid-Atlantic mountain range or stretch of desolate beach, calm down: it's a history-themed park (collective sigh). The park would be based out of New Castle and have several satellite locations devoted to both European settlement and Delaware's place as the first state to ratify the Constitution.

Even that feels like a little bit of a stretch, but Delaware's Sen. Tom Carper says the bill enjoys bipartisan support, and would require only a few million dollars launch.

If all goes according to plan, Delaware's first national park could go live by 2011. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes.

—Ted Alvarez

Delaware may be last state to get national park (AP)