Every April, during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week, we join with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to celebrate America's treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Love national parks? There's a holiday for that! Join us for National Park Week happening April 19 to April 27 to celebrate everything "parks." There are more than 400 national parks of different shapes, sizes, and kinds to experience. Also discover what the National Park Service does to preserve natural and cultural heritage and provide recreational opportunities in communities across the country—and even the world!
Five Easy Ways to Celebrate
Follow the fun on social media using #NationalParkWeek. Join conversations with our parks and programs and share your own posts about your love of parks to inspire others.
Find a national park and come visit! Entrance fees to national parks are waived on April 19, 2025, to kick off the celebration.
Kids, grab your family and friends to come out for National Junior Ranger Day! You can also earn your official Junior Ranger badge any time at most parks throughout the week.
Look around your community to learn how National Park Service programs and partners are involved in your community. Find national historic landmarks or national natural landmarks near you. Or enjoy recreational opportunities and spaces enhanced by programs and partners.
Discover what the National Park Service does through our programs and partners to preserve natural and cultural heritage and provide recreational opportunities in places across the country—and even the world! Learn more here!
2025 Theme: National Park Playlist
Drum roll, please! This year's #NationalParkWeek theme being National Park Playlist celebrates musical connections to national parks and the American story. Join us at Hampton National Historic Site as we reflect on the deep rhythms of our past. Through stories of resilience and strength, let's honor the voices that resonate through history while connecting with nature’s beauty. Together, we can learn, remember, and find harmony in our shared journey. Are you ready to press play on an amazing visit to a national park? There's a record collection of things to do and see during National Park Week, but here are a few themes to get you started.
Try these suggestions any day of park week—or really any time of year!
Playlist Challenge: Create your own national park playlist of favorite songs, trips, or park memories inspired by your own travels and experiences. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Discover:Learn about music in parks including what the National Park Service does to celebrate and preserve our nation’s musical heritage and communities around the country.
Visit:Visit a national park during National Park Week or any time of year to experience musical performances or learn about music history and heritage.
Playlist: Create a playlist, album, or story inspired by your greatest memories, experiences, or accomplishments in national parks. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Visit: Find a national park and learn what makes it great, whether for its history, nature, or unique experiences it offers. To kick off National Park Week, entrance fees are waived on April 19, 2025!
Kids: It’s also National Junior Ranger Day, so bring your family and friends! Many parks have Junior Ranger badges you can earn.
Playlist: As an alternative, download the NPS App on your smartphone and use the new CarPlay feature to listen to National Park Service podcasts and audio tours in your car.
Visit: Try an alternative experience when you visit national parks, like a new trail, activity, or park to visit that you didn’t consider before.
Close to Home: Use the NPS App to find the nearest national park to your home. You might not have to go as far as you think.
Playlist: Put together your VIP playlist. In celebration of National Volunteer Week, look up and make a list of opportunities to lend your talent and time as a “Volunteer In Parks.”
Visit: Try a popular activity or place in a national park to experience the hype for yourself. (Tip: Check ahead if reservations are required for very highly visited parks or activities.)
Close to Home: Pop over to our free streaming service of webcams, which often have stunning views or landscapes and critters.
Playlist: Hey, what’s that sound? Capture sounds in nature or use our sound gallery to create your own symphony or music video. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Visit: Visit a national park to listen as well as see. Get to a safe place and close your eyes to hear incredible soundscapes.
Discover: Learn about natural sounds in national parks, what we do and what you can do to protect them.
Close to Home: Protect national parks’ ecosystems and wildlife your neighborhood through conservation at home.
Playlist: Go through pictures of classic family vacations, including to national parks, and create an album. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Discover: Learn about geology and caves and karst, found in national parks and what the National Park Service does to protect amazing natural and cultural rock features.
Playlist: Metal is one of the most common building materials. Create artwork inspired by national parks. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Visit: Go on a scavenger hunt in a national park to find your favorite metal statues, sculptures, bridges, or other metal-based sculptures.
Close to Home: Find them in your own neighborhood too. Get tips or learn about historic preservation that is likely happening to preserve these special structures.
Discover: Learn about the important infrastructure in national parks and what the National Park Service is doing to enable visitors to experience national parks in a safe and accessible environment.
Playlist: Create a poem or soulful song inspired by a national park or place in your community that inspired you.
Discover: Rhythm and blues is often influenced by contemporary society around the musicians. Explore the unique hsitory of our country to learn what may have shaped music you listen to.
Visit: Find a park to learn about that history in the places where it happened. Many parks have performances of historical and contemporary music throughout the year.
Close to Home: Teachers and parents can find educational resources in the Educators Portal that help students explore how music and dance have been used throughout American history.
Playlist: Dance like nobody’s watching! Create a dance inspired by your favorite national park or place in your community. Then let others watch it! Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Visit: Swing into a national park for a performance or program. Find events happening in parks that get you moving around, including dancing, yoga, biking, paddling, and more. You can also find these park events in the NPS App.
Close to Home: Check our social media or multimedia gallery for dance tutorials.
At Hampton we are walking up to the Orangery for a performance and historic lecture! Click to learn more
Playlist: Time to step up to the plate! Create a hype song for your favorite national park or place in your community. Share it with family and friends, including on social media using #NationalParkWeek and #NationalParkPlaylist.
Visit: Pick your favorite walk up or walking trail or hike in a national park. Get some tips about trails and hiking to prepare for your walk in the park.
Close to Home: Find trails in the National Trails System, which are all around the country.
