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To celebrate the first day of National Park Week, you can enter any of America’s National Parks for free this weekend.
The opening day of the celebratory week – which the National Park Service states was created “to celebrate America’s treasures” – will take place this Saturday (16 April) and everyone is welcome to enter the park free of charge on that day.
Yes, you heard that right – you can enter any of the 400+ National Parks throughout the U.S. for free this Saturday!
And, in fact, this is not the only day of the calendar year that people are able to take advantage of free admission to the nation’s national park – with there already having been a day of ‘free entry’ earlier in the year (January), and three more days in the coming months where the entrance fee will be waived for visitors.
What Is National Park Week?
National Park Week was created in order to celebrate each – and every – national park throughout the United States of America.
It is a joint initiative between the nation’s National Park Service (NPS) – which is a government agency in charge of managing all of the national parks inside the U.S. – and the official charity of the country’s national parks, the National Park Foundation.
Throughout the nine days – which the ‘week' of celebration lasts for – people nationwide will be able to visit any of the 400+ national parks and enjoy a variety of activities – while having the opportunity to learn more about the national parks, including their history and culture.
What Happens During National Park Week?
Well, there is sure to be a lot of fun to be had – with each national park hosting a number of events throughout the week – offering families and friends the opportunity to make memories, whilst admiring some of America’s most beautiful nature spots.
This year’s theme for National Park Week is “sPark Connections” – with each day of the celebratory week having its own theme.
Here are some of the themed days that are been planned across America’s national parks:
- sPark Collaboration (18 April) – you will get the chance to learn more about the partnerships that help connect people with the national parks, as well as find out information on how you can get involved with various park initiatives.
- sPark Preservation (21 April) – learn more about how the national parks are preserved, as well as find out ways that you can help to preserve these national treasures.
- sPark Action (22 April) – taking place on the same day as the worldwide ‘Earth Day’, you will get the chance to learn more about how our actions can help to maintain the world’s wellbeing, including particular steps and actions that we can take to keep the world a healthy place.
Find out more about each of the themed days of National Park Week by clicking here.
When Does National Park Week Take Place?
In the month of April each year. This year (2022) it will take place from 16-24 April.
How Many National Parks Are There In The U.S.?
As mentioned there are in excess of 400 national parks throughout the United States, which includes some of the most world-renowned national parks on the planet – such as the following:
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
There is no doubt that the above national parks are some of the most well-known around the world – with millions of visitors having explored these stunningly beautiful forces of nature throughout the years.
However, although these ‘big name’ parks remain popular amongst travelers – there are in fact a number of lesser known national parks throughout the U.S. – which are also a great choice to visit during National Park Week.
You can find your nearest national park by clicking here.
Read more:
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5 Places To Stay While Visiting Joshua Tree National Park
7 Lesser-Known U.S. National Parks To Visit In 2022
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