Spring is here, so that means it’s time to celebrate National Park Week 2019. From April 20 to 28, there will be special events all over the US. Plus, free admission on April 20th to all national parks. So get outside and find a park to explore. We’re sharing details about National Park Week, park stats, and a few of our favorites.
National Park Week 2019
Did you know that the National Park Service’s records have registered over 14 billion visits since 1904. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly twice the planet’s population! So it’s fitting that this is the start of National Park Week 2019 (April 20-28).
To kick off National Park Week, all entrance fees are waived on Saturday, April 20!
There are also special days during the week to highlight the different ways you can enjoy your national parks. Here’s the breakdown of each day’s theme:
- National Junior Ranger Day (April 20)
- Military & Veterans Recognition Day (April 21)
- Earth Day (April 22)
- Transportation Tuesday (April 23)
- Wild Wednesday (April 24)
- Throwback Thursday (April 25)
- Friendship Friday (April 26)
- BARk Ranger Day (April 27)
- Park Rx Day (April 28)
Here’s a list of the top ten national parks by attendance in 2018:
- Great Smoky Mountain
- Grand Canyon
- Rocky Mountain
- Zion
- Yellowstone
- Yosemite
- Acadia
- Grand Teton
- Olympic
- Glacier
A post about national parks wouldn’t be right without sharing about which ones are our favorites! And of course, we have many more on our bucket list (Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, and Arches just for starters).
Yellowstone National Park
The oldest national park is worthy of planning an entire trip around its exploration. We shared our best tips on How to Make the Most of a Yellowstone National Park Vacation.
Grand Teton National Park
Read all about our adventures in Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, including fun whitewater rafting and wildlife tour.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
On our recent trip to Gatlinburg, we hightailed it to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is officially the most visited national park with over 11 million visitors in 2018.
We would highly recommend Pigeon Forge as a great home base for exploring the Great Smokies.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Finally, Colorado is calling with the Rocky Mountain National Park. We especially enjoyed driving Trail Ridge Road, hanging out in Estes Park, and spending the night at the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Steven King to write The Shining. (Redrum.)
So what national park is on YOUR list? Any tips for your favorites?