It’s National Park Week! Free Entry, Special Events & More
Celebrate National Park Week April 20-28, 2024 with free entry, special events, and more. Here's what you need to know…
Are you ready to celebrate our national parks? NPS sure is! The National Park Service parks, programs, and partners will host events and activities all week!
The celebration kicks off with FREE ENTRY to any National Park on April 20th, the first day of National Park Week.
NPS hopes visitors can come celebrate in person and learn more about what the National Park Service does across the country—and even the world! Here's what they have planned for the week, and other great resources…
National Park Week Theme Days
Every day within National Park Week is dedicated to a unique theme, highlighting various ways visitors can engage with, explore, or contribute to national parks.
- Saturday, April 20: Discovery. What will you discover? A new place, a new interesting fact, a new activity… To kick off National Park Week and encourage you make that new discovery, entrance fees are waived on April 20!
- Sunday, April 21: Volunteers. Dedicate your skills and time as a volunteer within the national parks. Explore opportunities for either one-time events or ongoing roles.
- Monday, April 22: Earth Day. Participate in the worldwide event promoting education and care for our planet's natural assets. Numerous parks offer volunteer opportunities. You can also find ways to practice conservation at home.
- Tuesday, April 23: Innovation. National parks preserve the story of our nation’s advancements. Discover current innovative endeavors occurring within parks or through NPS initiatives today.
- Wednesday, April 24: Workforce Wednesday. Encounter our remarkable team including staff, interns, fellows, volunteers, contractors, partners, and others. Consider joining the NPS team!
- Thursday, April 25: Youth Engagement. A call to the future guardians of National Parks! Learn about the opportunities for youth and young adults to get involved and see what your peers are up to.
- Friday, April 26: Community Connection. Gain insights into the vital efforts our programs and partners conduct within and beyond park borders in communities nationwide.
- Saturday, April 27: Junior Ranger Day. Aimed at children and those young at heart, engage in onsite or online activities to explore significant places or topics and perhaps earn a Junior Ranger badge.
- Sunday, April 28: Arts in the Park. Get artistic inspiration from park environments. Also, learn about how NPS initiatives and partnerships support and preserve community arts.
Follow NPS Social Media
Don't miss out! Be sure to follow National Park Week on social media and join the fun all week using #NationalParkWeek. Their Instagram account is stellar.
Share your pics and see what fellow nature-lovers are up to all across the country! It's sure to be a great week for the community, and we expect to see a lot of activity in our RV Lifestyle Community, too.
Think Outside the Box
There are more than 400 national parks nationwide… so don't limit your plans to the big hitters like Yellowstone, Zion, etc. Think outside the box and check out what national parks are near you. By using that interactive map, you can search by state for national parks, preserves, historic sites, and more!
National Park Activities for Kids
Did you know the NPS website has a great collection of Online Activity Guides? They are a great option if your kids are stuck in school or you want to supplement homeschool curriculum during NP week.
Some interactive activities include:
- Kid Exploration of Everglades National Park
- National Trails Coloring Pages
- Arches at Home Scavenger Hunt
America the Beautiful Pass
If you can't make it to a national park on April 20th to avoid entry fees, we highly recommend investing in an America the Beautiful Pass. The America the Beautiful program offers several annual and lifetime passes, including:
- Senior Pass (62 years or older)
- Access Pass (for people with disabilities)
- Military Pass
- 4th Grade Pass
- Volunteer Pass
DON’T Do These 10 Things in a National Park
National Parks are a treasured part of the American landscape, and millions of people flock to these parks every year.
As with any public space, there are rules and regulations in place to protect the park's natural resources and ensure the safety of visitors.
Whether you're a seasoned park-goer or planning your first visit, it's important to be aware of these rules to help preserve these amazing spaces for future generations. Go to the full article…
Is It Illegal to Drink in National Parks?
You may be wondering how much you're allowed to celebrate during National Park Week while in a park.
It is not illegal to drink in National Parks if consumed in an approved area. However, you can get yourself in trouble if you pop open a brew or bottle of wine wherever you'd like.
Here is what you need to know about drinking alcohol in national parks, including where it's allowed and what exceptions to watch out for… go to the full article…
13 Favorite National Parks for RV Camping (According to REAL RVers)
We recently reached out to our RV Lifestyle Facebook group to get their vote on their favorite national parks for RV camping.
We posted: “My favorite National Park is: _____________!!”
Our members filled in the blank with hundreds of comments, including many of Jennifer's and my favorite national parks. Since we’ve been to most on this list, we’ve included additional links and resources throughout! Go to the full article…
9 BEST National Parks for RVing in Solitude
Are you worried about the crowds during National Park Week? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Every year, the National Park Service releases an Annual Visitation Report. If you dig deeper, you can filter the types of visits at each park, including RV camping.
By digging deeper, we found the best national parks for RV campers looking to get away from the crowd. Go to the full article…
Mike and Jennifer Wendland's Yellowstone Travel Guide
At the top of every RVers bucket list, it is a place so majestic, so wild, and so big that it calls us to return, to explore, to get to know the diversity of its land and animals over and over again.
Everywhere you look are waterfalls, fast-moving rivers, geysers, sheer rock faces, towering lodgepole pines, all framed by mountains under the bright blue cloudless sky.
It’s spectacular for those who love the wilderness and getting up close and personal with it. Enjoy Yellowstone for RV travel.
