On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act creating the National Park Service (NPS), a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established (now there are 408 national parks!).
To celebrate the upcoming centennial of NPS in 2016, the National Park Foundation (NPF) launched their Find Your Park campaign to encourage everyone to get up, get out there and #FindYourPark – no matter your interest. To celebrate NPS’ 99th birthday on August 25, 2015 and get ready for NPS’ big 100th birthday next year. Founders’ Day also marks fee free day to all national parks.
99 Ways to Find Your National Park
1. Explore a cave
2. Take a photo that matches a historic one #retrogram
3. Relax on the banks of a scenic river
4. Go climbing
5. Be an urban hiker
6. Dance
7. Write poetry
8. Visit a National Heritage Area
9. Discover a culture new to you
10. Experience silence
11. Learn about climate change
12. Hug a tree
13. Find inspiration in the story of a civil rights leader
14. Walk through a doorway of a historic house
15. Go on a ranger-led tour #rangerspointingatthings
16. Earn a Jr. Ranger badge
17. Make a memory
18. Celebrate innovation
19. Get inspired by a First Lady
20. Paddle a water trail
21. Channel your inner Bill Nye — become a citizen scientist
22. Find your park in Spanish #encuentratuparque
23. Make art in a park
24. Go green
25. Find life in a desert
26. Scout a park, boys and girls!
27. Celebrate Native American heritage
28. Take a picnic and dine al fresco
29. Enlighten yourself at a historic lighthouse
30. Explore Asian American and Pacific Islander culture in America
31. Be bear aware
32. Come sail away
33. Go biking
34. Feel the sand between your toes
35. Learn about endangered species
36. Follow NPS on social media
37. Hit the road
38. Walk a historic main street
39. Follow the footsteps of a woman who made history
40. Get VIP status
41. Hit record
42. Get “reel” by visiting a park featured in your favorite movie
43. Join a trail clean-up
44. Share your story
45. Brush up your national park trivia skills
46. Join them
47. Discover a traditional tribal cultural practice
48. See the sea
49. Mail a postcard
50. Use your free active military pass
51. Discover history around you
52. Let Elmo and Murray be your guides
53. Raft down a river
54. Stand on a mountaintop
55. Pay your respects at a national cemetery
56. Get in the know about H2O
57. Make new friends
58. Take a mini-cruise
59. Walk nature’s treadmill
60. Plan ahead and prepare
61. Reflect on our most difficult stories
62. Ride on a historic carousel
63. Pick a POTUS
64. Go fishing
65. Make a splash
66. Discover the beauty of our nation’s other public lands
67. Run
68. Stamp your park passport
69. Share a #tbt park photo
70. Visit our international sisters
71. Trash Your Trash
72. Get prehistoric
73. Bring a kid to a park
74. Catch a wave
75. Try something new
76. Improve your health — get a park Rx
77. Pose for a family photo in a park
78. Recognize women who made history
79. Renew your spirit
80. See history from a different perspective
81. Immerse yourself in a living history program
82. Bee pollinator friendly
83. Plan the best field trip ever
84. Find a monument and decode history
85. See how NPS helps transform your community
86. Sleep outside
87. See the starry, starry night
88. Use the buddy system!
89. Watch wildlife
90. Play
91. Spread the love — thank a park volunteer
92. Use a national park lesson plan
93. Go wild: Experience wilderness
94. Take a deep breath
95. Wander an American battlefield
96. Take a sunrise selfie
97. Travel the Underground Railroad
98. Visit for free on their 99th birthday
99. Get ready to celebrate with them in 2016!
Find Your Park: Mary Lambert
It sounds so fun to explore a cave! I’ve only ever visited two legit national parks but I really loved them both <3
Angelic Sinova recently posted..Happy Half/6 Month Birthday Loki (Dachshund Lab Mix Puppy)
There are so many wonderful national parks out there! I need to investigate to see which ones are in my area.
Penny Struebig recently posted..Five on Friday – August 14, 2015
Thanks so much for sharing this! I’ve always wanted to take the family to a national park, but we just haven’t made it happen yet.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle recently posted..Sara Lee® Bread Lovable Lunch Notes Make Lunch Fun
This is awesome! I didn’t realize next year is 100! We love exploring national parks.
Jacob Fu recently posted..Best Subscription Boxes 2015 (July)
Thank you for those superb tips! I like visiting national parks, because usually, they are peaceful (at least here in Estonia) and interesting places to visit.
Leelo R recently posted..#DareToBeGorgeous with #SkinnyMint TeaTox Teas
Oh I love that list! I’d love to do at least half those things on the list. We haven’t visited any national parks in a long time. I love that they have no fee days. We’ll have to take advantage of that.
Heather recently posted..Vacumm Cleaner BackPacks – Are They Worth it?
Our National Parks are such an absolute treasure. We are working on an epic trip through some of the western biggies. I can’t wait to get the kids to Yellowstone!
Jaime Nicole recently posted..Sara Lee® Bread Bakes Up Back-To-School Love
This is a great list! I love getting out and exploring with my kids. We’ve been talking about going to Yellowstone soon.
Miranda @ The Bright Side of Reality recently posted..20 Mind-blowing Dessert Recipes to Ruin Your Diet
I love your list. We love visiting National Parks. My kids enjoy exploring them.
Ourfamilyworld recently posted..Cheap Healthy Meals For Large Families
I must confess I have no clue how many national parks we have in the UK or where they are even located, definitely need to google them for the UK
Miranda (Myrabev) recently posted..Things that give life a summer vibe
There are a lot of parks around where live but I don’t think they are National Parks. I definitely have to go and find one or two that are near enough that I can go and spend a day there.
Michele recently posted..The Labor Day Giveaway-6 Winners-US-(asst arv’s)-Ends 9/7 #LDG815 @las930
I love most of the activities especially those in the outdoors. You can really refresh your system with these activities.
Franc Ramon recently posted..Under Armour Partners With Slam for PBA Draft Combine
These are truly awesome ways. Love them all, seems like they will come in handy for me soon.
Ron recently posted..Beach Wedding Dresses That Won’t Break Your Budget
I grew up in Utah where we had 5 or so national parks plus several more in neighboring states. We had a lot of fun exploring and hiking. Zion National park is definitely my favorite that I have visited.
Kara @ The Joys of Boys recently posted..Printable Lunch Box Jokes
I have done some of these. There are many others I’d love to indulge in too.
These are such great ideas to get out and enjoy our beautiful country. There are so many fun things to do in nature.
April @ Everyday Fitness and Nutrition recently posted..10 Foods to Reduce Inflammation
Such a great list!!! I just love national parks and getting out in nature. Especially now that I have a little one to show all of the fabulousness to!