How You Can Celebrate the 100 Years of the National Park Service

The U.S. National Parks are celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year, and it is definitely a time for us hikers to thank the park service and celebrate with them!

There is a lot going on in 2016 to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service, so check out some of the most interesting items and programs to ring in the celebration!

Watch the IMAX Film National Parks Adventure!

This looks awesome! Robert Redford has narrated this special film, National Parks Adventure, that will be playing around the country on giant-screen IMAX theaters in honor of the National Park Services’ 100th Anniversary! I can’t wait to check it out and enjoy the beautiful scenery of our U.S. National Parks!

Grab A Special Edition National Park Collection Buff for Your Hikes!

What better way to celebrate than sporting a special edition National Parks Buff! Avid hikers are all aware of Buffs, but for those of you new to Buffs, you’ll appreciate this discovery…Buffs are multi-functional tubular wraps that can be worn around your head or neck for a variety of purposes. They can help wick sweat away, control odor, keep your neck warm on a cold day, protect you head or neck from harmful sun rays, and much more. What is fantastic about these special edition National Parks UV Buffs is that a portion of the proceeds will go to the American Hiking Society!

Visit California – Loads of Special Events All Year to Celebrate!

There are all sorts of centennial festivities planned across my home state of California! Guided hikes, wildlife exploration, and junior ranger programs, yoga, hotel discounts, and lots more! I will have to make another trip to my favorite California national park, Yosemite, or the Channel Islands, or even Death Valley! I love exploring all of California’s National Parks! At each of the National Park websites you can find a list of special events that are happening throughout the year. For example, at Redwood National Park you can enjoy The Centennial Festival on June 25th and 26th. They will have talks and activities celebrating the park’s heritage and John Muir’s great-grandson will be speaking at a special ceremony!

Read Backpacker Magazine’s Latest National Parks Guide!

Backpacker Magazine (my 2nd favorite publication after Hiking Lady and Hiking Baby!) has published an excellent book called The National Parks Coast to Coast: 100 Best Hikes. I got to check out an advanced copy; it will be available in print on April 1, 2016. This book covers the top 100 hikes in our National Parks, so what better way to celebrate than hitting the trail and going for a hike! This is my kind of book. What I love are all of the details, from maps, park profiles, tips about visiting, and more.

Get the Authoritative National Geographic National Parks Guide

This book is so good it is now in its 8th Edition! The National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States. In this latest edition, coverage of all 59 national parks has been revisited and includes new information. What I love are the vivid color photographs. This book is ideal for a more casual hiker than the Backpacker Magazine’s guide noted above.

Guide for the Kids!

Kids always love having their own books, and the National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A. Centennial Edition is a good one for 8-12 year-olds. This is a fun book – it has ideas of things to do on long car rides to the national parks, neat facts and maps about the parks, and loads of color photos.

It is very important for us to get our children outdoors to appreciate and enjoy nature. This is a nice book to encourage your kids to put down their electronics and get excited about an upcoming family trip to a U.S. National Park!

Check out other Hiking Lady articles about the 100 Year Anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service!

• A 100 Year Celebration of the National Park Service

Happy celebrating, and happy trails!

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