The US is home to 433 National Park System sites, from vast landscapes to historic landmarks. But in April 2025, Chattanooga, Tennessee, officially grabbed the spotlight by becoming America’s first “National Park City.”
And here’s the twist: it has nothing to do with the National Park Service. The title actually comes from an international movement that reimagines cities as places where nature and urban life coexist. Still new in the US, the idea is catching on fast, and Chattanooga’s leap into the spotlight is sparking plenty of buzz about what greener cities could look like.
Click on to explore how Chattanooga earned its new title and learn more about the growing National Park City movement.