National Park Week is an annual event during April 18–26, 2015 in which all national parks permit free admission to the public to celebrate Earth Day on April 22^nd.

What is National Park Week?

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and they partner with the National Park Service to happily announce National Park Week each spring, a celebration of our national heritage.

This occasion is America’s largest celebration of the land’s scenic nature. While casually strolling through parks with picturesque features, you can study our land’s wonders, meet new people, and embark on a journey through nature deeper than you’ve ever known. Additionally, free admission allows the public to enjoy affordable vacations while becoming closer with the earth.

America has over 400 national parks that offer extraordinary wildlife and breathtaking landscapes.

Yosemite National Park

This land is nearly 1,200-square-miles of wilderness in the Western Sierra Nevada. Home to North America’s tallest waterfall (Yosemite Falls), one of the world’s largest masses of granite (El Capitan), and the world’s largest trees (an honor it shares with Sequoia National Park), it was clear from the time of the first pioneers that it should be preserved for future generations.

At this park and many others you can enjoy backpacking, hiking, and audacious rock climbing.

Haleakala National Park

Unlike Yosemite, Haleakala resides in Maui, Hawaii where visitors venture through high elevations to see the depths of a volcanic “crater”.

Additionally, there are over 24,000 acres is designated wilderness. Between two sections of the park, visitors can experience the cinder moonscape of the wasteland crater basin, as well as waterfalls, non-native bamboo forest and Hawaiian cultural celebrations along the coast. Also along the coast is a spectacular location for sky and sunset watching; there are endless environments and animals to discover.

Yellowstone National Park

Located in Wyoming, this park is the home of breathtaking geysers, such as the famous Old Faithful and other rare geographical features.

Here, there are many beautiful routes to bike and walk. From llama-packing to snowmobiling, the range of promising activities is one of the most remarkable of any national park. Boating is a popular activity, but motorized boats are only allowed on Yellowstone and Lewis lakes, and non-motorized on most of the other ones. Fishing has been a major activity for more than a century, and with a variety of 16 species of fish to catch, it’s easy to see why. Anglers are advised to use caution, as several native species are being closely monitored and must be released intact.

This park is unique because, in the winter, its snowy terrain opens up a wide range of more activities. These activities include cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing on the park’s many trails. Yellowstone National Park is considered by many to be the snowmobile capital of the world.