It’s finally here! The wait is over! National Park Week commenced on April 18 and we have but one week to celebrate our nation’s most treasured lands. What is that? You didn’t know we had a National Park Week? Well we do, so learn what it means and see what your state has to offer.
National Park Week is an annual week that is proclaimed by the President. It is a time to celebrate and recognize national and state parks, national monuments, and historic sites in the U.S. They are the country’s living examples of spectacular landscapes, they protect our wildlife, and they reflect our diverse culture. Yes, they are awesome. So how can you celebrate such awesomeness in only a week?
This year, National Park Week, National Junior Ranger Day, and Earth Day occur during the same week. This is the Triple Crown for Planet Earth. If you have kids, be sure to check out the list of over 225 NPS sites that will host youth-oriented activities on Saturday, April 25 for the 3rd annual National Junior Ranger Day.
You have endless options when it comes to something to do this week. From scavenger hunts and craft demonstrations to puppet shows and nature hikes, there are hundreds of free special events taking place during National Park Week. Check out our best-of list categorized by geographic region:
Alaska
Denali National Park and Preserve will host Junior Ranger Day on April 25 at a local school in conjunction with a Health Fair and Earth Day event. Naturalist activities and take home projects to promote sustainable, earth friendly actions will be provided.
The Colorado Plateau
Earth Day will be recognized at Grand Canyon National Park on April 22 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The day will also include Junior Ranger Day activities. Families will have a chance to learn more about what rangers do and get first-hand experience in the park. A family sing-along, leads into an evening program at 7 p.m. For information, call 928-638-7941.
The East
Lowell National Historical Park, located in Massachusetts, gives the big national parks a run for their money when it comes to exciting week-long activities. The Junior Ranger program will run all week long allowing kids to explore the park and complete the activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge and certificate. The 3rd Annual Community Gardens Greenhouse Earth Day Festival will also take place on April 19. Events include music and craft activities celebrating the start of the planting season. Finally on April 25, Earth Day Clean Up will commence. Come dressed to get dirty and help clean up litter along canals and waterway. For more information, email the park.
The Pacific Northwest
North Cascades National Park is offering week-long, hands-on projects for the week. Highway Litter Pickup starts on April 21, and participants will pick up litter along State Route 20 through the park. On April 22, Newhalem Creek Campground SpringClean will take place to celebrate Earth Day while also helping to prepare the campground for the busy season ahead. Activities include landscaping with native plants, maintaining campsites, and improving trails. Finally, the Hands to Work Learning Center Stewardship Weekend runs from May 1-3. Participants can join park and North Cascades Institute staff tend the native flora surrounding the Environmental Learning Center. There are projects for all abilities and interests, from trail maintenance to cataloging projects in the Wild Ginger Library. The weekend is $40 per person and includes two nights lodging and six meals. Register at www.ncascades.org or call 360-856-5700 ext. 209.
The Pacific Southwest
Junior Ranger Day will be held at Yosemite National Park with activities for younger and older Junior Rangers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kids can walk with a park ranger and help restore habitat. Junior Rangers and their families can meet park rangers, search and rescue dogs, wildlife management staff, and cultural demonstrators. If you are interested, contact Sharon Miyako at 209-372-0294.
The Rocky Mountains
On April 24, Colorado National Monument will host a Junior Ranger Day/Gateway to the Great Outdoors. Third and fourth grade students will rotate through 11 interactive activity stations hosted by park staff, Mesa County Search and Rescue, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Youth Conservation Corps, REI, and federal interagency wildland firefighters. Students and teachers will travel in groups of 25-30 through the stations and learn what goes on behind the scenes at the monument.
The Southwest
Located in New Mexico, Petroglyph National Monument will host Junior Ranger Day on April 19 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. An event known as Hike the Volcanoes occurs from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Programs include a wolf sanctuary program, making shell jewelry making, a water usage program, a desert garden walk. And an Ancestral Puebloan tools trunk program.
Remember, there are hundreds of activities going on this week and you don’t have to travel across the country to get involved. National Park Week includes state and historic parks so check out nps,gov's state-by-state listing and find the ones near you. Get outside and see just why these parks are so vital in our culture.
