During the Great Depression, millions of Americans struggled to find work and support their families. To help the country recover, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 as part of his New Deal programs.

 

During the Great Depression, millions of Americans struggled to find work and support their families. To help the country recover, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 as part of his New Deal programs.

The CCC gave jobs to nearly 3 million young American men between 1933 and 1942. They earned $30 a month, but there was one important rule. $25 of their pay was sent directly to their families, helping parents, brothers, and sisters who were facing hard times. The men kept only $5 for themselves, but many were proud to help their loved ones.

The workers spent their days improving America's natural beauty. They planted more than 3 billion trees, helping restore forests across the country. They built walking trails, picnic shelters, campgrounds, and many other outdoor spaces that people still enjoy today.

The CCC also helped create more than 700 state parks. They built thousands of fire lookout towers and fire roads to protect forests from wildfires. In national forests, they constructed 126,000 miles of roads and trails along with 45,000 bridges and buildings.

The work was hard, but it gave young men a chance to earn money, learn new skills, and serve their country during one of its most difficult times.

Even though the Civilian Conservation Corps ended in 1942, its impact can still be seen nearly a century later. Many of the trails, bridges, lodges, campgrounds, and parks built by CCC workers are still used by millions of visitors every year. Their hard work helped shape the beautiful national and state parks that Americans continue to enjoy today.