When a good friend's birthday rolls around, we're apt to not simply anticipate how we'll hang out, and eat cake, and have some laughs. We also recall the memories we've made with this pal, and the good deeds we've been meaning to do for them, like helping them paint or washing their car or just being a bud.
We can look upon National Park Week in much the same way. Perhaps you consider Yosemite a friend, or the redwoods, or Lassen Volcanic, or another wild-superb, tree-mythical, canyon-colossal park. If you do, you're not alone: Millions turn to our national parks for vacations, for recreation, for learning, for stillness, and for peace.
It's National Park Week, beginning on April 15, 2017, which means a few exciting things. The talked-about tidbit surely is the fact that those national parks that charge an entry fee will waive it for not one but four full days. Those days aren't concurrent, but do comprise two weekends: April 15-16 and April 22-23.
And, true, the majority of national parks are free, but over 100 do typically charge an entrance fee, making these free days something special.
Also special: April has the most free national park days of any month (and not every month has free days).
Now, to the giving back: It doesn't involve money being handed over at the park gate, as mentioned, but the National Park Foundation, an organization that offers support to the National Park Service in myriad ways, has suggestions on how to love upon the parks in the future in a new list.
There are eight tips in all, including becoming a member of the National Park Foundation. As for partner promotions happening during the week? There are a number of those to peruse, such as TomTom donating five bucks to the NPF for each Adventurer Watch sold.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
As for what's going down during the free days of National Park Week? Why, there are handy calendars for that, and you just know the schedules will brim with ranger talks, cool hikes, condor discussions, nature presentations, and more.
Check out what's doing in Joshua Tree National Park and Pinnacles National Park in the near future, or trek your way to the online HQ of your go-to park.
