visitnps

2022 National Park Free Days

February 4, 2022

Mark your calendars! Here are the days in 2022 when you can gain free entrance to all of America’s National Parks: January 17: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 16: First Day of National Park Week August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) September 24: National Public Lands Day November 11: […]

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

June 18, 2021

America’s newest National Park! The New River Gorge has just joined the National Park System as its 63rd National Park. Sitting on the southeast corner of West Virginia, it is the state’s first national park. A bit of a misnomer, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world. The park […]

2021 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

February 12, 2021

Here they are…the days when you can gain free entrance to all of America’s National Parks: January 18: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 17: First day of National Park Week August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act August 25: National Park Service Birthday September 25: National Public Lands Day […]

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

January 22, 2021

The newest one! The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southeastern West Virginia is now officially the 63rd National Park and the 20th National Preserve in the United States. About an hour’s drive from Charleston, West Virginia, it’s comprised of about 7,000 acres of marked trailheads and another 65,000 acres of backcountry trails. […]

Top Outdoor Events of 2020

December 15, 2020

And the winner is… it’s the end of the year, and we’ve just finished counting all of your Facebook likes and shares for our 2020 features in the Outdoor Events category. And the item that came out on top was… drum role please… the Free Entrance Days in the National Parks, the feature that highlighted the 5 […]

America’s National Parks

May 22, 2020

Visit the great outdoors…gradually and safely! In accordance with CDC and government guidelines, some of the 419 National Parks are reopening (like Joshua Tree National Park, pictured above). Yippee! With warm weather and summer approaching, we’re all anxious to get out and explore nature. To ensure everyone’s safety and health, there are some restrictions and […]

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

February 27, 2020

More than 400 across the country…National Parks, that is, and here are the dates that you can get in free of charge! The five days in 2020 are: January 20 (birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.), April 18 (First day of National Park Week), August 25 (National Park Service birthday), September 26 (National Public Lands Day), […]

White Sands National Park

January 24, 2020

Our newest National Park! As of last month, New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument received the official designation as our 62nd National Park. As its name implies, this striking park is home to fields of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals, and it also contains the world’s largest collection of Ice-Age fossilized footprints. Lace up those […]

Wildland Women’s Death Valley Basecamp Tour

October 24, 2019

Various dates in 2019 and 2020. It’s the hottest, driest, largest, and lowest National Park! At 3.4 million acres, that’s Death Valley National Park, and Wildland Trekking has a women only adventure titled Women’s Death Valley Basecamp Tour that takes you through a small portion of this National Park established on Halloween in 1994. This […]

Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival

October 2, 2019

Coming October 4, 2019. Earlier this year, we shared the newly designated National Park, Indiana Dunes, the 15,000-acre park with 15 miles of beach along the southern tip of Lake Michigan. This weekend, they’re kicking off the Outdoor Adventure Festival (OAF), a 3-day festival showcasing all things outdoors! Choose from a 4 hour ranger-led hike […]

Indiana Dunes National Park

February 26, 2019

The newest National Park! As of February 15, 2019, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has officially been renamed as the Indiana Dunes National Park, making it our 61st national park and the first national park in the state of Indiana. This 15K-acre park has 15 miles of beach along the southern tip of Lake Michigan and […]

Saguaro National Park Labor Day 8-Miler & 5k Walk/Run

August 31, 2018

Coming September 3, 2018. One of the few races to be run on National Park Land. The 49th annual Saguaro National Park Labor Day 8-Miler & 5k Walk/Run is race that gives you a feel of the old Southwest. Choose from either an 8 mile course or a 5K course taking you through the hot, rolling […]

National Park Week 2018

April 19, 2018

Coming April 21-29, 2018. Next week is National Park Week, making it the perfect opportunity to explore our treasured outdoor sites that have been set aside for public appreciation and recreation. The theme this year is “Park Stars” and celebrates the night sky and beyond. The week kicks off with free entrance to all national parks […]

Utah’s National Parks Tour with Women Traveling the World

September 26, 2017

Coming October 25, 2017. Visit the largest collection of hoodoos in the world! What are hoodoos? They are the tall, thin spires of rock that are so characteristic of Bryce Canyon, which is one of the two National Parks that you’ll be visiting on the upcoming Women Traveling the World tour. The other park is Zion […]

2017 National Park Week

April 12, 2017

Coming April 15-23, 2017. It’s almost mid-April…don’t think about your taxes (hopefully you’ve already filed!)…think about National Park Week! That’s right, April is when there are oodles of activities going on at the National Parks: ranger led hikes, battle demonstrations, birding walks, parades, bike rides, Olympic distance triathlons, and more. Plus there’s free admission to all the parks on […]

Mount Rainier: Ranger Guided Snowshoe Walks

January 12, 2017

If you can walk, you can snowshoe! So said a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park. And yes, it was true, if you can walk, you will certainly enjoy snowshoeing, especially if it’s at Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state of Washington and the fifth national park in the United States. During the […]

Everglades Half Marathon

October 27, 2016

Coming November 19, 2016. Keep an eye out for a manatee! The inaugural Everglades Half Marathon will be held entirely within Florida’s Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. This is a flat course with no major climbs and follows the Shark Valley Tram Road offering views of the diverse flora and fauna of the area. […]

Death Valley Hiking Tour by Adventures in Good Company

September 6, 2016

Coming February 16, 2017. Visit the hottest, driest, lowest national park (but not during it’s hottest and driest time of year!). Join Adventures in Good Company for their 5-day Death Valley Hiking Tour. For active women who enjoy the outdoors in the company of other like-minded women, this tour is aimed at the novice hiker […]

National Park Service

August 18, 2016

Happy 100th birthday! On August 25th, the National Park Service turns 100, and there are lots of celebrations planned throughout the entire month. Here are just a few of the special events taking place: August 20th: Festival of the Sea (CA): A full day of music and fun along the San Francisco waterfront to celebrate the NPS Centennial.Hosted by San […]

Creaky Knees Guides

June 16, 2016

We’ve just discovered some great, newly-released guides that we think will be just right for you TrailblazerGirls who want to explore the Pacific Northwest. Published by Sasquatch Books, the Creaky Knees Guides for Washington (2nd Edition), Oregon (2nd Edition), and the Pacific Northwest National Parks and Monuments are a comprehensive collection of hikes that are […]

2016 National Park Week

April 20, 2016

Coming April 16-24, 2016. Yippee! It’s National Park Week! Time to head outdoors and explore our more than 400 national parks. You have a full week of free admission to check out places like Olympic National Park (pictured above) in Washington with it’s three distinct ecosystems: sub-alpine forest and wildflower meadow, temperate forest, and the […]

Dark Sky Festival, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

September 1, 2015

Coming September 11, 2015. Stargazers will jump for joy at the second annual Dark Sky Festival held at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Spend the day exploring these 2 national parks that have a combine 1,353 square miles of amazing wilderness trails, the largest remaining natural grove of giant sequoias in the world, vibrant […]

Pendleton National Park Scented Travel Candle

June 12, 2015

Bring the National Parks home! Even if you can’t make it to the parks this summer, feel like you’re right there in the middle of nature with the National Park Scented Travel Candles from our friends at Pendleton. Choose from scents to remind you of the Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountain, Rainier, Yellowstone (love the […]

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

June 12, 2015

Nothing bad about this national park. The Badlands National Park in South Dakota has extraordinary scenery, striking rock formations rich with fossils, the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairies in the United States, and incredible wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and the endangered black-footed ferret. The term badlands is descriptive of the park’s soft […]