Celebrating National Parks season kicks off this month in a variety of ways. Here is what you need to know about the when, where and how to celebrate our National Parks, Monuments and Forests. Volunteering is the the best ways to support our National Parks. More about how to support National Parks through donating, education and gifts that support National Parks.
Key Dates to Celebrate
National Volunteer Week: April 14th to April 20th. Celebrate through volunteering with the National Park Service.
All entrance fees are waived during National Parks Week: April 20th-April 28th, 2024.
Earth Day: April 22nd. Plant a tree, pick up litter, help clean the beaches and conserve electricity. Reduce, reuse and recycle on this day and everyday.
Best Way to Support Our National Parks
Volunteering, donations and keeping our planet clean are the best ways to support our National Parks. Sharing the beauty of our land across America, and being a role model to respect the land. Please help educate others in “leave it better than you found it”. Just another example to help preserve the lands for future generations.
Gifts That Give Back
Here’s a guide on what to look for:
Eco-Friendly: Environmentally friendly, eco-conscious striving to reduce packaging and using recycled materials where possible.
Sustainable: long-lasting goods that are meant to be durable (not fast-fashion).
Partnerships: Brands that partner by giving back a portion of their proceeds from sales to foundations and organizations.
Fair Trade: Brands that support developing countries by offering a fair price in exchange for their goods. Usually implies ethical sourcing.
Recycled Materials: materials such as plastics can be used in beanies and other products.
WhereGalsWander‘s online shop, Wander Together Outfitters, makes an effort to source goods that give back. Many products donate proceeds from sales to National Parks; Women’s Programs in the Outdoors; Mental Health and USFS.
Gifts That Support National Parks, Forests & Wildfire Education
Recycled Materials
Fair Trade Items
Supports Non-Profits & Charities
Celebrating National Park Birthdays
| Yellowstone | March 1,1872 |
| Sequoia | September 25, 1890 |
| Yosemite | October 31, 1890 |
| Mount Rainier | March 2,1899 |
| Crater Lake | May 22, 1902 |
| Wind Cave | January 9, 1903 |
| Mesa Verde | June 29, 1906 |
| Glacier | May 11, 1910 |
| Rocky Mountain | January 26, 1915 |
| Haleakala | August 1, 1916 |
| Hawaii Volcanoes | August 1, 1916 |
| Lassen Volcanic | August 9, 1916 |
| Denali | February 26, 1917 |
| Acadia | February 26, 1919 |
| Grand Canyon | February 26, 1919 |
| Zion | November 19, 1919 |
| Hot Springs | March 4, 1921 |
| Bryce Canyon | September 15, 1928 |
| Grand Teton | February 26, 1929 |
| Carlsbad Caverns | May 14, 1930 |
| Great Smoky Mountains | June 15, 1934 |
| Shenandoah | December 26, 1935 |
| Olympic | June 29, 1938 |
| Kings Canyon | March 4, 1940 |
| Isle Royale | April 3, 1940 |
| Mammoth Cave | July 1, 1941 |
| Big Bend | June 12, 1944 |
| Everglades | December 6, 1947 |
| Virgin Islands | August 2, 1956 |
| Petrified Forest | December 9, 1962 |
| Canyonlands | September 12, 1964 |
| North Cascades | October 2, 1968 |
| Redwood | October 2, 1968 |
| Arches | November 12, 1971 |
| Capitol Reef | December 18, 1971 |
| Guadalupe Mountains | September 30, 1972 |
| Voyageurs | April 8, 1975 |
| Badlands | November 10, 1978 |
| Theodore Roosevelt | November 10, 1978 |
| Channel Islands | March 5, 1980 |
| Biscayne | June 28, 1980 |
| Gates of the Arctic | December 2, 1980 |
| Glacier Bay | December 2, 1980 |
| Katmai | December 2, 1980 |
| Kenai Fjords | December 2, 1980 |
| Kobuk Valley | December 2, 1980 |
| Lake Clark | December 2, 1980 |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | December 2, 1980 |
| Great Basin | October 27, 1986 |
| Dry Tortugas | October 26, 1992 |
| American Samoa | January 1, 1993 |
| Saguaro | October 14, 1994 |
| Death Valley | October 31, 1994 |
| Joshua Tree | October 31, 1994 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | October 21, 1999 |
| Cuyahoga Valley | October 11, 2000 |
| Congaree | November 10, 2003 |
| Great Sand Dunes | September 13, 2004 |
| Pinnacles | January 10, 2013 |
| Gateway Arch | February 22, 2018 |
| Indiana Dunes | February 15, 2019 |
| White Sands | December 20, 2019 |
| New River Gorge | December 27, 2020 |
