Envisioning Your Park Experience This Year

A new year means new goals and adventures to embark upon. With more than 400 unique national parks and hundreds of programs and partnerships nationwide, the opportunities are endless to enjoy parks visiting in person or in your neighborhood. Start with an idea and see what happens.

BONUS: NPS App

NPS / Jacob Frank

Keep a virtual ranger in your pocket as you visit national parks this year. The NPS App is the official app for the National Park Service with tools to explore more than 400 parks nationwide. Find interactive maps, tours of park places, on-the-ground accessibility information, and much more to plan your national park adventure before and during your trip. Learn more about the NPS App, includiing how to download it for iOS- and Android-powered devices.

1. Find Your Park

As the National Park Service continues into its second century, we are encouraging everyone to enjoy their national parks and inspire the next generation of stewards.

NPS Photo

More than 300 million people from around the world visit national parks each year and make memories and personal connections to these special places. National parks are as unique and varied as the people who visit them. Have you found your park yet? Share your moment on findyourpark.org or on social media using #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque.

2. Find Your Virtual Park

There are countless virtual experiences you can enjoy from home no matter what you are interested in.

NPS Images / Matt Turner

Can't visit your favorite park all day, every day? Not to worry. Stay connected with national parks every day of the year from anywhere in the world. Find Your Virtual Park through various virtual experiences, such as tours, webcams, distance learning, social media, and more. Share your favorite virtual experiences on social media using #FindYourVirtualPark.

3. Discover the Power of Parks for Health Goals

Players of Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area's annual Go Big Challenge can earn points through physical and mental exercises involving the park, also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

If you are starting the year with resolutions, we may be able to help you get to your goals. Join a yearlong challenge at a national park or create your own using thousands of miles of trails, rivers, and unique places and activities in national parks. Learn more about the physical and mental health benefits of visiting national parks and prescribe yourself regular visits.

4. Try a New Hobby

As the world gathers to celebrate athletes this summer, maybe join in the fun by trying a new sport.

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Be adventurous and try something completely new. We’re not just talking about challenging yourself to a new sport you’ve never tried, like paddleboarding, rock climbing, or horseback riding. Try your hand at learning a new skill, like plein air painting, tortilla-making, birding, or poetry competitions. Many parks offer ranger-led activities or cultural demonstrations that can help you test the waters.

5. Become a "VIP"

There are countless ways to get involved as a volunteer, including giving long distance interpretive programs while out in the park.

NPS / Hannah Schwalbe

The National Park Service Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program is celebrating more than 50 years! Whether for a few hours or full time, lend your time and talents as a steward of America’s public lands in a wide variety of volunteer tasks. Find more information on becoming a VIP and share your NPS volunteer experiences on social media using #NPSVolunteer.

6. Get Social

Hundreds of people took up the "Draw a Bison Challenge" on social media and shared their artistic interpretations of bison.

Share your national park experiences with family, friends, and us on social media using #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque. It may inspire others to explore nature or history. Want fun facts, games, and pretty park pictures? Check out social media accounts for the National Park Service or your favorite parks. Keep an eye out for livestreams, chats, and Instameets.

7. Picture It

No matter your experience level or equipment, there are plenty of photogenic backdrops in national parks.

NPS / Jacob Frank

National parks bring out the inner photographer in all of us regardless of skill level. Try your hand at taking photos of the stunning scenery, historical backdrops, and fun family and friend photos. Remember to always keep safety in the picture, especially when photographing wildlife or around heights. Share your favorite snaps on social media using #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque.

8. Somewhere Old

Share special moments from the past with a new generation, or just enjoy them all over again.

Courtesy of A. Fawcett (left) and Jen Johnson (right)

Take a trip down memory lane by revisiting a special national park place from your past. Find that whimsical view, peaceful picnic area, or victory step on a mountain trail that created a lasting memory worthy of reliving or sharing with family and friends. Maybe even find inspiration by dusting off the old family albums and recreating one of your old photos from a previous park trip.

9. Somewhere New

Even in your favorite, most-visited park, there may be less-traveled places to see.

NPS / Neal Herbert

Create new memories with a trip to a national park that was on your bucket list or maybe one that you never considered visiting. Or try visiting a part of your favorite park that is less traveled, even by you. You may be surprised at what you find—maybe even one nearby!. Use a Trip Planning Guide to get started on your new adventure.

10. Somewhere Borrowed

Shuttle systems like at Acadia National Park cut back on emissions and greenhouse gases, while allowing visitors to sightsee and leave their parking and congestion woes behind during the busy times of year.

NPS Photo

Learn about efforts to understand and preserve our nation’s natural spaces for future generations and how you can get involved. Stay up to date about ongoing scientific research happening in parks and consider contributing to research and monitoring as a citizen scientist. Check out sustainability projects in parks and ways you can take part, including trying alternate transportation.

11. Somewhere Blue

The National Wild & Scenic Rivers System has a little something for everyone to enjoy on the river from challenging rapids to gentle journeys.

NPS / Corinne Spada

When’s the last time you saw the ocean? This may be your year to hit the beach, explore underwater trails, or watch marine wildlife found in oceans, coasts, and seashores of national parks. Or stay inland to conquer the rapids or calmly meander down the miles of rivers flowing through national parks and national heritage areas.

12. Aim for the Stars

Try camping under the stars to enjoy a clear view of the night sky.

NPS / Jacob Holgerson

Many national parks offer the rare chance to switch off all the lights, allowing you to gaze up at a pretty stellar view of the night sky that may include the Milky Way, shooting stars, and planets. Join rangers for star parties, telescope viewing, and night walks happening year round. A few parks even have solar telescopes to get a closer look at the brightest star in our solar system.

13. Get to Know the Neighborhood

A stroll through your town may bring you past natural and cultural heritage and recreational spaces involved with National Park Service programs and partnerships.

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Did you know that the National Park Service is at work in almost every community in the United States? The National Park Service has many programs and partnerships that preserve historic, cultural, natural, and recreational resources outside park boundaries. Explore places on the National Register of Historic Places, national historic landmarks, national natural landmarks, national recreation trails, and national heritage areas to better know your neighborhood.

14. Earn Your Badge

On National Junior Ranger Day, many parks will host in-person or virtual events for kids to earn badges with family-fun activities and opportunities to do what rangers do.

NPS / Brad Sutton

Calling kids of all ages! Almost every park has a Junior Ranger program inviting kids to earn an official Junior Ranger badge or patch by completing activities or joining a ranger-led activity. For the inner-kid, many parks don’t have an age limit and sometimes have an additional Senior Ranger program. See how many new badges you can earn this year!

15. A Learning Experience

Take advantage of America's largest classrooms to engage your students.

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Parks make immersive classrooms to learn about history and nature. Educators for all levels and subjects can explore education resources, including lesson plans, in-park and virtual field trips, and more. Some parks have a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program to bring teachers’ expertise to the park for the summer and back to the classroom.

16. Every Kid Outdoors for Fourth Graders

Get a pass online and let the adventure begin!

Courtesy of Auriza Ugalino

Got a fourth grader in the family? All fourth graders can get a free pass to more than 2,000 public lands across the country to explore nature, history, and new recreational experiences. Best of all, they can bring their family and friends along for free with the pass. Find more information on Every Kid Outdoors, including how to sign up.

17. Envision Your Future Career

Internships can take you to new highs and new lows, like literally down in a cave, to get on-the-job experiences.

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Internships and Pathways Program positions for students and recent graduates are a great way to get hands-on experience in a variety of job fields to prepare for longterm careers both in and outside of the National Park Service. Explore opportunities during the school year or a summer adventure.

18. Partner With Us

Thousands of partnerships make possible special ways to enjoy parks and bring communities together, such as the Cuyahoga Valley Line in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

© Sara Guren

Are you part of a team interested in stewardship of America’s natural and cultural heritage? Consider partnering with the National Park Service or a local park on a variety of projects within parks and in communities around the country. Check out partnership opportunities, including preservation of natural and cultural resources, providing recreational opportunities, becoming a friends group, and more.

19. Try a New (Ranger) Hat on for Size

Whether starting your first career or looking to begin a new one, you may find your fit with the National Park Service.

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Does green and gray suit you? Consider joining the National Park Service team in a wide variety of career fields for those who love to work outdoors or indoors. Find information about working for us and become part of a team of more than 20,000 employees playing different roles in caring for America’s natural and cultural treasures and the more than 300 million people who visit them.

20. Share the Park Experience

Take someone along for the ride so they can see what national parks have to offer.

NPS / Jacob Frank

Last, but not least...Introduce someone to parks. Many people have not yet experienced their national parks. Help them take the first steps to enjoying the many things their public lands have to offer so they can also find their park.