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National Volunteer Week honors the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. For 2023, National Volunteer Week was observed from Sunday, April 16 through Saturday, April 22. National Park Week is an annual week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks. National Park Week usually coincides with Earth Day (April 22). For 2023, National Park Week was observed from Saturday, April 22 through Sunday, April 30. Earth Day began when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, called for an environmental teach-in in 1969, which was inspired by the teach-ins dealing with the Vietnam War. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and drew an estimated 20 million participants. Tens of thousands of people filled New York's Fifth Avenue, Congress adjourned so members could speak across the nation, and at least 2,000 colleges marked the occasion. American Heritage Magazine called the first Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 174 countries by over a half billion people, making it the most celebrated secular holiday in the world, a day on which people get outdoors, plant trees, clean up trash and lobby for the environment. Your National Parks are living examples of the best this nation has to offer—our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge. This year, take a moment, an hour, a day to visit the national parks near you. While entrance to Point Reyes National Seashore is always free, the opening day of National Park Week—April 22, 2023—entrance to all National Park Service sites is free. The National Park Service also offers a number of other fee-free days throughout the year. 
Ice Plant Pull at North BeachDate: Saturday, April 29 |
Last updated: April 30, 2023