WASHINGTON—The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation invite all to explore and enjoy national parks during the annual National Park Week, beginning on April 16, with free entrance to all parks. More than 400 National Parks will be hosting special events, activities, and digital experiences.
Check Out a New Park
“Throughout the country, these sites are sources of inspiration, recreation, and education, each one preserving and sharing a part of our national story. I hope National Park Week provides a spark to visit a nearby national park and make some memories,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.
“National Park Week is a great time to explore a lesser-known site,” said National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth. “In 2021, most park visits occurred in just 25 parks. This National Park Week, try something new. There is so much beauty and cultural heritage to experience in your own backyard.”
Every park has remarkable features, as well as lesser-known gems, providing a variety of opportunities to engage the senses and experience something different during each visit.
Spark Connections
The overall theme for National Park Week is “sPark Connections.” Throughout the week, individual theme days highlight various ways visitors can enjoy the parks.
- Saturday, April 16: sPark Discovery. National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to visit a national park. What new national park will you discover?
- Sunday, April 17: sPark Creativity. Which park features inspire your creativity?
- Monday, April 18: sPark Collaboration. How can you get involved or participate in national park opportunities?
- Tuesday, April 19: sPark Innovation. Learn how technology in parks is improving the visitor experience.
- Wednesday, April 20: sPark Opportunities. Are you interested in working with us?
- Thursday, April 21: sPark Preservation. What role do you play in the recreate responsibly movement to preserve our parks?
- Friday, April 22: sPark Action. It’s Earth Day. What actions can we all take to help care for the planet?
- Saturday, April 23: sPark Curiosity. Junior Ranger programs and other activities give kids the chance to learn about geology, wildlife, history, or dozens of other topics related to national parks.
- Sunday, April 24: sPark Memories. Do you have lasting memories or traditions created during visits to national parks?
Start Planning Now
Visit NPS.gov or the official NPS app to plan your trip. You can search for parks by state, activity, or topic and get the latest updates and details about each park. Involve the kids in planning your next park visit by using the new online Junior Ranger Park Explorer program “Ready, Set, Go” where they can complete activities and print a badge. In partnership with the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation and more than 450 park partner groups help support and raise awareness about the full range of national parks across the country, including those off the beaten path.
Join a Twitter Chat for More Information
A Twitter chat preview of National Park Week will take place on April 14 at 1 p.m. EDT. Join the conversation and share favorite memories, tips and stories about national parks using the hashtag #NationalParkWeek and #sParkConnections.
For more information about National Park week, please visit NPS.gov/npweek, nationalparkweek.org, and www.nps.gov .
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
About the National Park Foundation. The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at nationalparks.org.
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photo credit, featured image: St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, NPS.