Up Next, National Parks Week

Do you have plans to visit a National Park this year for National Parks Week? This weekend there will be free admission to the National Parks and many activities are planned for the week.  I’m not sure of my plans but I do hope to at least get outside and “Go Wild!” as suggested by this year’s slogan.

With 401 units of the National Park System, how do you decide what to do during National Park Week? The folks at the National Park Service and National Park Foundation have some suggestions for you.

This year’s theme, “National Park Week: Go Wild!”, invites visitors to celebrate all that America’s 401 national parks have to offer. With free admission to all parks on April 19 and 20, and exciting activities and programs scheduled throughout the week, National Park Week is the perfect time to discover the diverse wildlife, iconic landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history found in America’s national parks.

How many of the National Parks have you visited? Check out this neat map and see for yourself. I’m thinking if this new snow we got last night sticks around for the weekend as wild as I get might be making my own bucket list of parks I want to visit.  If I’m really bored then maybe I will figure out which Parks I’ve been too and then develop criteria to describe what “visit” means. Does a picture at the entrance qualify? A souvenir from a store? A photo from the distance? Or do I need to spend a minimum of ten minutes there? Hike a trail? Stay overnight or maybe collect feces from a species? OK, that last one was a little gross and I don’t think the parks want you removing anything from them so we’ll strike that.

In any case, I hope you get out, go wild and explore one of the 401 National Parks this weekend.

Here’s a few I’ve visited off the top of my head, how about you?

• Bryce National Canyon
• Badlands
• Carlsbad Caverns
• Hot Springs
• Devil’s Tower
• Yellowstone
• Grand Canyon
• Wind Cave
• Zion