Happy 104th birthday to the National Park Service.
To celebrate, admission to national parks and monuments in Arizona and across the country is free on Aug. 25, which marks the day in 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act establishing the National Park Service.
Most parks are open and welcoming visitors during the new coronavirus pandemic, but some services and areas might not be available.
Click here for more information.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, make sure to maintain social distance indoors and out, use hand sanitizer or wash hands with soap and water regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, and wear a face mask.
Click here for health and safety information.
Leading up to the anniversary, the National Park Service is hosting a Virtual Arizona Park Fest, a family-friendly event that features “Arizona’s national parks, national monuments (and) recreation areas,” according to the event’s Facebook page.
The event is Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22-23, and includes online gatherings such as “coffee with a scientist, cultural demonstrations and kids activities.”
Other programs include:
- Living History at Fort Bowie
- Canyon Cafecito With a Ranger
- Climate Change Response Program: Gachado Line Camp at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
- Petrified Forest National Park: Park Paleontology
- Dee Jackson: Navajo/Yavapai Silversmith Demonstration
- Overview of Saguaro National Park and How to Grow a Cactus
The next national-parks free admission day is Sept. 26, National Public Lands Day. The final free day this year is Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11.
