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Imagine you’re visiting a national park and want to send a postcard to someone in your life- maybe a friend, a family member, or even your future self.

In your mind, picture the front of the postcard:
What’s the view? A waterfall? A starry sky? A forest trail?

Now imagine what you’d write on the back:

What did you see, hear, or feel in this place?

What do you want to share about the experience?

Why do you want this person to know about it?

Feeling inspired? Head to Canva and create your own digital National Parks postcard and share it with Mrs. Maahs (maahsk@lmsd.org) to be displayed in the library. NOTE: You are not required to make or submit anything if you do not want to - you can also take a moment to think about the connections you’d want to make through your park adventure and share about it when you fill out the Park Pass!

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Postcards - Design & Print Postcards | Canva

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Design and order business postcards with Canva’s postcard printing service. Use free, customizable postcard templates & enjoy flexible shipping.

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Pictured above: One of Mrs. Maahs' very favorite nature lovers - her son, Sully! It doesn't matter where you are over spring break, just GO OUTSIDE!

Pick one or more questions below to spark your thinking and reflect on your connection to nature. Consider journaling your responses digitally or on paper (perhaps you might even capture your thoughts and watch as they evolve to become the beginning seed of an entry for the Spring Writing Competition(!)...or simply spend time being still and give your brain time to pause and ponder your experiences in nature. Bonus points - conduct this reflection it outside!

PS- If you weren't a nature lover before, you might just be ready for a new era after you dive deep into the beauty that awaits!

NATURE REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What’s one of your favorite memories in nature?
(This could be a park, a backyard, a vacation, or even just looking at the sky.)

2. Have you ever felt awe in nature?
What were you seeing, hearing, or feeling in that moment?

3. If you could spend a whole day outdoors anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

4. What does being in nature feel like to you?
(Relaxing? Exciting? Peaceful? Something else?)

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Greetings, Dragons!
You’ve been invited to a special Earth Day screening of the breathtaking documentary Out There: A National Parks Story, directed by Brendan Hall and scored by Elizabeth P.W. (sister to our very own Welsh Valley French teacher, Madame P.W., and proud Lower Merion alum)! This learning lab is your virtual basecamp! Explore the wonders of national parks, learn about the people behind the film (see below), and share your own nature-inspired creativity. After 20 minutes of exploring (or more if you can't tear yourself away), complete your PARK PASS to secure your spot for the screening. Be sure to check out our exclusive contest opportunity to have a 1:1 visit with the filmmaker or the composer! Let’s get Out There- together.

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Brendan Hall is a documentary filmmaker sharing stories in the natural world and beyond. He is a director, cinematographer, editor and speaker whose work has connected with audiences across generations. His visual style is known for balancing sweeping landscapes with intimate portraiture of human experiences - on land, in the air, and below the sea.

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Meet the Composer and Songwriter behind the music of Out There, Elizabeth P.W.

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Meet the Composer and Songwriter behind the music of Out There, Elizabeth P.W.

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AFTER YOU EXPLORE: Complete the PARK PASS - your ticket to the film screening!

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AFTER YOU EXPLORE: Complete the PARK PASS - your ticket to the film screening!

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🗺 Interactive Map: All U.S. National Parks

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🗺 Interactive Map: All U.S. National Parks

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Find a Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Find a national park by selecting from a list or choosing a state on the map.

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🧭 National Parks Near Us (PA/Philly area)

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🧭 National Parks Near Us (PA/Philly area)

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By The Numbers

19 National Parks

7,309,946 Visitors to National Parks

$312,500,000 Economic Benefit from National Park Tourism "

$190,400,387 of Land & Water Conservation Fund Appropriated for Projects (since 1965) "

50 Certified Local Governments "

169 Community Conservation & Recreation Projects (since 1987) "

8 National Heritage Areas "

4 Wild & Scenic Rivers Managed by NPS "

6 National Trails Administered by NPS "

3,552 National Register of Historic Places Listings "

169 National Historic Landmarks "

27 National Natural Landmarks "

2 World Heritage Sites "

3,863 Places Recorded by Heritage Documentation Programs "

139,603,248 Objects in National Park Museum Collections "

1,226 Archeological Sites in National Parks "

12 Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans "

9 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries "

Print the summary "

These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.

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Our Mission

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
Explore general legislation and other laws relating to the National Park Service.
Our Employees

Approximately 20,000 strong, the uncommon men and women of the National Park Service share a common trait: a passion for caring for the nation's special places and sharing their stories.

How We Are Organized

The National Park Service is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and is led by a Director nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Director is supported by senior executives who manage national programs, policy, and budget in the Washington, DC, headquarters and seven regional directors responsible for national park management and program implementation.

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The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

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OUT THERE, A National Parks Story screens Jan 24, 2025

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❄️🏔️ Fun Fact: Bigger Than Switzerland?!

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❄️🏔️ Fun Fact: Bigger Than Switzerland?!

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Did you know the largest U.S. national park is so big... it could fit Switzerland inside it?!

Say hello to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in Alaska. It’s got glaciers, volcanoes, and even a ghost town.

📏 Size: 13.2 million acres!

🇨🇭 That’s over twice the size of Yellowstone and bigger than the entire country of Switzerland. Whoa.

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Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries. This rugged, beautiful land is filled with opportunities for adventure. Read More

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Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

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Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries.

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🌋 Unsung sites in National Parks & what’s the strangest-named National Park?

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🌋 Unsung sites in National Parks & what’s the strangest-named National Park?

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Check out this Nat Geo Travel article about unusual sites in U.S. national parks. Some national parks sound like places from a fantasy novel.
Ever heard of:

Great Sand Dunes

Badlands

Congaree

Haleakalā

Conduct a quick search for the weirdest-sounding national park name and share your favorite when you fill out the Park Pass! Bonus if you invent your own strange-sounding park name!

🧙‍♂️ I’d like to visit “Stormcloud Ridge National Park.” How about you?

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Visit little-known and unusual sites in U.S. national parks

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These little-known spots wait beyond more famous attractions.

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🏆 Win a 30 minute Zoom opportunity with Brendan Hall (award-winning documentary filmmaker) or Elizabeth P.W. (award-winning musical composer)! Click on the Google Form for more details and to submit your entry!

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Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Explore and learn about the Leave No Trace principles to understand how you can protect and preserve natural spaces for everyone to enjoy!

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The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. The Principles can be applied anywhere - from remote wilderness areas, to local parks and even in your backyard. Each Principle covers a specific topic and provides detailed information to empower you to minimize your impacts.

The 7 Principles are well-established and widely known but not static. Leave No Trace continually examines, evaluates, and reshapes the Principles and conducts research to ensure that they are up to date with the latest insights from biologists, land managers, and other leaders in outdoor education.

What should I do next?

There's a ton more to learn and do! Take the Leave No Trace 101 course or donate to support our work. It will take all of us to protect naure.

Shop The 7 Principles Materials

Need to purchase educational materials or minimum-impact camping gear? Find this and more at the Leave No Trace store.

Copyright Information

To reprint the Leave No Trace 7 Principles, include copyright language and please do not alter them without review from Leave No Trace.

Request a Leave No Trace program for your park or group.

Let's protect and enjoy our natural world together

Get the latest in Leave No Trace eNews in your inbox so you can stay informed and involved.

Let's Talk About Your Project

Request Consulting Services

CLOSE

WIN $600+ worth of Outdoor Gear from Big Agnes, REI & Yeti!

Join, renew or donate through Monday, July 6th, for a chance to win the Big Agnes, REI & Yeti deluxe summer prize package!

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The 7 Principles - Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics

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The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.

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Another National Parks Film to check out! 

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Another National Parks Film to check out! 

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Check out this PBS site to explore The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Ken Burns—featuring videos, photos, and stories that bring the history and beauty of our national parks to life!

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The National Parks: America's Best Idea | Ken Burns | PBS

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The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a six-episode series produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan and written by Dayton Duncan. Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales - from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.

The National Parks: America's Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background - rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.

Premiered on PBS: September 27, 2009

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The National Parks: America's Best Idea | Ken Burns | PBS | Watch The National Parks: America's Best Idea | Ken Burns |...

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The National Parks: America's Best Idea is story of an idea as American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical. Full documentary by Ken Burns now streaming.

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​Getting a national park reservation can be a pain. Here’s what you should know.

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​Getting a national park reservation can be a pain. Here’s what you should know.

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Read this National Geographic article to learn how to make national park reservations—then use what you learn to plan your own adventure!

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At 7:59 a.m. Mountain Time on the first day of March, people across the world hovered over keyboards and smartphones, ticking away the seconds until Glacier National Park released its block of coveted reservations for entering the park during July. The clock hit 8 a.m., setting off a mad race to click "Book Now" on Recreation.gov's vehicle reservations page. The quickest fingers would score a pass to explore the Montana park's pristine lakes, sheer peaks, and beargrass-dotted meadows in the high summer season.

Those spots went fast. The remote North Fork area, in the park's northwestern corner, sold out within 10 minutes. Glacier's stunning main thoroughfare, Going-to-the-Sun Road, filled completely in half an hour. Some people got lucky that day, but many more came away disappointed, including Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, who tweeted about his failure to land a reservation.

While backcountry hikers and river runners have long dealt with the difficulty of nabbing permits for high-demand destinations, casual travelers haven't had to wrestle for reservations simply to enter a national park-until recently.

A solution to overcrowding?

After years of struggling with record-breaking visitation and crowding, three parks rolled out pilots of so-called managed access systems to stem the tide. California's Yosemite National Park instituted a day-use reservation system for 2020 through 2022 (it's now on hold while the park works on long-term planning); Glacier and Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park introduced theirs in 2021. A handful of other parks require reservations to visit specific locations, like Cadillac Summit at Acadia and Angel's Landing at Zion.

Each parks' rules are different, and for many, confusing. Pass requirements vary by date and location within a park, and are valid in some places for one day and in others for three days. Parks release a percentage of passes months in advance but reserve a portion for the day before (see box below). Successfully planning a summer trip is an experience Alex Kim, founder of an outdoor group for people of color called Here Montana, likens to "cracking the code."

But few dispute that these parks had to do something. Starting with the National Park Service's Centennial in 2016 and skyrocketing with the COVID pandemic, park visitation numbers have increased to record numbers. "We're seeing unprecedented levels of sustained demand in a lot of these parks," says Will Rice, an assistant professor of parks, tourism, and recreation management at the University of Montana who studies reservation systems.

(Here are some of the top 10 issues facing national parks.)

"The parks belong to the American people, and there's no substitute for being in a national park," says Scott Gediman, public affairs officer for Yosemite. But "when you've got two-and-a-half hours waiting in line to get in, then you get there and shuttle buses are packed and there are long lines for food, it's just not a good experience." Add environmental damage caused by trampling feet and illegal parking, and the problem compounds. Enter what Rice calls the "rationing of recreation."

For those who do get a reservation, most say managed access leads to a much better trip. Park representatives are quick to note that they're not trying to reduce visitation, just spread it out throughout the day and the season. All three parks succeeded in that: Since implementing their systems, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite have seen lines at entrance stations and shuttle buses dwindle, parking cease to be a competitive sport, traffic gridlock ease, and people enjoying their experience more.

"We have done a survey of people who got reservations," says John Hannon, Rocky Mountain's management specialist. "They're very supportive of timed entry once they've experienced it." Yosemite visitors reported similar sentiments. "And anecdotally, a lot of people were seeing more wildlife," notes Gediman.

(As crowds swell on public lands, visitors learn how to minimize their impact.)

The downside to ticketed entry

But limiting access, even if only during peak hours, necessarily leaves some people out. Under these systems, a certain type of visitor is more likely to snag the golden ticket. At the very least, it's someone who plans well in advance. But also it's someone with high-speed internet and a credit card, a job that allows for vacation planning months ahead, and familiarity both with Recreation.gov's reservation platform and the English language. (Recreation.gov is only available in English, though it does provide a how-to on using Google Translate.)

Advocates worry that means historically marginalized communities-who may already face challenges in accessing public lands, from lack of resources for leisure travel to fear for their physical safety outdoors-are left out. For some, reservation systems are "a deterrent on top of deterrents when it comes to our national parks," says Teresa Baker, co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath diversity initiative and advocate for inclusion in the outdoors.

(Here's how Michigan is helping diverse visitors experience Lake Superior.)

Making parks accessible to all

Part of the solution might lie in creating more ways to nab a reservation. "We need to expand the idea of how we ration these things," says the University of Montana's Rice. "People have different preferences and needs when it comes to how they want to gain access to these highly demanded recreational resources."

Park officials say they're well aware of these issues, and continually tweak their systems to help all potential visitors get a fair shake. For this year, Rocky upped the number of reservations that go live 24 hours ahead of time-rather than months ahead-to better accommodate spur-of-the-moment travelers. And all three parks required reservations only during the busiest hours, so anyone can come in without an advance booking before, say, 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m.

There are more strategy ideas on the table, too. Hannon says Rocky Mountain is considering setting aside some tickets for local retailers to sell in person, reducing the system's reliance on Recreation.gov; hotel operators near Yosemite have requested a similar setup for their guests.

Rice suggests the parks also look into implementing a lottery or even using license plates to determine who can enter on a given day, as Yellowstone did in 2022 after flooding shut down portions of the park.

(Go wild-and skip the crowds-at these 7 spectacular parks.)

And both Kim and Baker stress the importance of outreach to groups that might struggle with reservation systems. "Just putting in some effort to help people know how to apply" would be huge, Kim says. Baker adds: "It would be great to have a national park ranger walking around a city park. It's an opportunity for me to ask some of the questions I've always had about visiting a national park."

Visitors can be grateful that at least one other crowd-control tactic won't be considered: raising entry fees. Unlike amusement parks and ski resorts that use demand-based systems to jack up prices during particularly popular times, national parks belong to everybody.

Like it or not, the days of spontaneously driving up to one of these national parks on a summer Saturday morning are probably over. "We wish we had this magic utopia that had lakes and an empty parking lot," says Patterson, "but we don't."

​Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan is a freelance journalist who focuses on climate, environment, outdoors, and travel.

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National park reservations: What you need to know

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At 7:59 a.m. Mountain Time on the first day of March, people across the world hovered over keyboards and smartphones, ticking away the seconds until Glacier National Park released its block of coveted reservations for entering the park during July. The clock hit 8 a.m., setting off a mad race to click "Book Now" on Recreation.gov's vehicle reservations page.

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Real stories from people who found connection, healing, or purpose in national parks. After reading, pick one story that stood out to you and think about why it matters. Who or what did this park connect them to? Let us know when you fill out the park pass!

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Explore the latest stories featuring NPF’s programs and work in national parks across the country.

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Check out real artwork created by artists who spent time in the parks- from paintings to photography to sculpture. What kind of art would you create if you spent a week in a national park? A poem? A photo series? A comic? Share with us when you reflect in the Park Pass!

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Art has been part of the history of national parks since the 1870s when Hudson River School painters captured majestic Western landscapes. Through their awe-inspiring works, the public came to see these special places in America for the first time. The works captured their imaginations, spurring them to preserve these lands for future generations.

Today art continues to thrive in our national parks. Explore online galleries of works by artists-in-residence and discover the role of parks in telling the story of art.

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Arts in the Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

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Art has been part of the history of national parks since the 1870s when Hudson River School painters captured majestic Western landscapes. Through their awe-inspiring works, the public came to see these special places in America for the first time. The works captured their imaginations, spurring them to preserve these lands for future generations.

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These stunning photos from parks around the country highlight the wild, beautiful, and sometimes weird. Optional Challenge: Pick a photo that speaks to you and give it a title or write a one-sentence story to go with it. Share it when you fill out the Park Pass!

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National Geographic’s guide to U.S. National Parks

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🎬 Park Trailer Challenge (No tech needed!)

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🎬 Park Trailer Challenge (No tech needed!)

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Imagine you’ve been hired to create a movie trailer for your favorite national park. Not sure of your favorite national park? Head back to the curiosity column and keep discovering!

You don’t have to actually make your trailer (unless you're feeling super inspired & then you should go to Canva and definitely do it & share it with Mrs. Maahs maahsk@lmsd.org)! Not quite ready to create a trailer yet? You are quite welcome to stay in the ideation phase of creativity and BRAINSTORM ideas for a future trailer- share your ideas in the Park Pass reflection!

Think about:

What would your title be?

What music would you use?

What scenes would you show?

What feeling would you want the audience to walk away with?

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If you were a park ranger in charge of creativity, what would your badge look like? What would you protect or celebrate in the park? Share your ideas in the Park Pass Reflection Bonus: Create the badge (digitally or on paper) and email it to Mrs. Maahs (maahsk@lmsd.org), or drop it off to the library for display.

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Explore the steps to becoming a Junior Ranger and discover how you can learn, protect, and have fun in our national parks!

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Explore. Learn. Protect.

The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family.

The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national. Many national parks offer young visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service "family" as Junior Rangers.

Interested youth complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate. Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 to 13, although people of all ages can participate.

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Become A Junior Ranger (U.S. National Park Service)

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Explore. Learn. Protect. The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country; each taking an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family. The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national.

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✍️ Celebrate National Poetry Month with Park Poetry

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✍️ Celebrate National Poetry Month with Park Poetry

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Peek at Poetry in the Parks to see how others have captured nature through words.Try your hand at a mini poem inspired by the parks and share it with us in the Park Pass!

Feeling inspired? Check out the Spring Writing Competition to share and dig into more poetry!

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Poetry in Parks is an initiative to install poetry on picnic tables in seven national parks. As public works of art, the picnic tables will each feature a historic American poem selected by the 24 th U.S. National Poet Laureate, Ada Limón. Limón selected the poems to encourage visitors to pay deeper attention to their surroundings. Limón will travel to each of the parks in the summer and fall of 2024 to unveil the new installations.

" I want to champion the ways reading and writing poetry can situate us in the natural world. Never has it been more urgent to feel a sense of reciprocity with our environment, and poetry's alchemical mix of attention, silence, and rhythm gives us a reciprocal way of experiencing nature-of communing with the natural world through breath and presence."
-U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón

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Poetry in Parks - Literature & Poetry (U.S. National Park Service)

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Poetry in Parks is an initiative to install poetry on picnic tables in seven national parks. As public works of art, the picnic tables will each feature a historic American poem selected by the 24 th U.S. National Poet Laureate, Ada Limón. Limón selected the poems to encourage visitors to pay deeper attention to their surroundings.

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Curate a playlist of songs inspired by nature, adventure, and exploration. Consider suggesting tracks that capture the spirit of the parks. Feeling generous? Share your playlist in the Park Pass!