Happy 100th birthday to the National Park Service in 2016! To celebrate, there will be 16 days in 2016 where admission to all US national parks will be free for everyone.
This fee-free week provides a great opportunity to visit a new park or an old favorite, especially one of the 127 national parks that normally charge an entrance fee.
There are also more than 400 parks with free entrance every day.
Plan your visit by what you want to do or where you want to go. Here are some events and highlights for National Park Week 2016:
- April 16–24: Visit for Free
Throughout National Park Week in 2016, every national park will give you free admission. - April 16: National Junior Ranger Day
Explore, Learn, Protect! Kids can take part in fun programs and earn a junior ranger badge or become a Centennial Junior Ranger. - April 22: Earth Day
On Earth Day, if you want to roll up your sleeves, look for a park where you can pitch in. - April 23: National Park Instameet
Join an InstaMeet in a park. Gather in a designated place at a specific time to take photos and short videos to post on Instagram (and other social media) with the same hashtag: #FindYourParkInstaMeet, #FindYourPark, #EncuentraTuParque, #NPS100 - April 24: Park Rx Day
On Park Rx Day, parks will host fun recreational activities that encourage healthy lifestyles and promote physical and mental well-being. (Looking to host your own event? Download A Guide to Planning Your Own National Park Rx Day Celebration [561KB PDF]).
Full details at www.nationalparkweek.org.
Taking photos at a national park? Share them with the National Parks Conservation Associations’ #NationalParkChallenge celebration on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook during National Park Week.
Know a fourth-grader (or home-school equivalent)? They can earn a free family pass to National Parks here, thanks to a new ‘Every Kid in a Park’ initiative.
