Happy Birthday to The National Park Service, which turns 100 on August 25, 2016. If you haven’t visited the parks yet, or it’s been awhile, now is a great time to get there, tour and take part in the festivities.
The National Park Service was created by an act signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916. Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as the nation’s first national park. There are currently 400 national parks available to visit, so whether you’re embarking on a staycation or you’re traveling the country, there’s one to see. Every year, more than 300 million people visit the parks.
The National Park Service website offers a map where you can select the state you live in or want to visit and see a list of parks that are available. For example, in New York you can visit an African Burial Ground, the homes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt as well as the home of Martin Van Buren the Statue of Liberty. These are all designated national parks.
In August, September and November, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Keep in mind, that even on other days, the parks are an affordable activity, with entrance fees ranging from only $3 to $30.
August 25 through 28: National Park Service Birthday
September 24: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day
Any fourth grade student can get a free annual pass through the Every Kid in a Park program, and active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability can also get free passes.
You can also purchase an America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass or “Interagency” Annual Pass, which is an annual pass that provides access to more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by five Federal agencies, with up to 100% of the proceeds being used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services. The pass is $80, but only $10 for seniors.
For some extra added fun, you can pick up a Passport to Your National Parks, which features color-coded maps, illustrations, photographs, and pages to commemorate your visits with rubber stamp cancellations. Each time you stop at a park, you can stamp the passport, which gives you a paper trail of all the great places you’ve seen.
For more information on the National Parks and all of the great activities they have planned for their birthday, visit https://www.nps.gov
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