The National Park Service belongs to which U.S. cabinet department?

The National Park Service belongs to the United States Department of the Interior.

The NPS was created in 1916 as a bureau within the Interior Department. The arrangement placed national parks, monuments, and related federal properties under a department responsible for much of the nation’s public-land administration.

The U.S. Forest Service, part of the Department of Agriculture, manages national forests rather than the National Park Service. This distinction causes frequent confusion because both agencies protect public lands and operate visitor facilities.

The Interior Department also includes agencies and offices involved with wildlife, land management, and Indigenous affairs. The NPS, however, has its own mission and manages units with many different designations, including national parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas.