Yosemite Joins National ‘Find Your Park’ Effort

Yosemite National Park, CA — Anticipating the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial and its own 125th anniversary, Yosemite National Park officials are encouraging folks to take full advantage of their parks and public lands.

According to Yosemite National Park spokesperson Ashley Mayer, the outreach is part of a newly launched national “Find Your Park” public awareness and education campaign. “We are joining other national parks and other protected areas across the country, as well as other park partners to really encourage people to go out and ‘find their park’ — find their sense of adventure.” After all, she adds, “Our national parks protect the natural, cultural and historical elements of America — and these parks belong to the American people — so we want people to go out and experience their parks and enjoy the programs that we put on.”

“Find Your Park” is also the theme for this year’s National Park Week, which runs April 18–26. During this time, Mayer notes that Yosemite will feature numerous programs to commemorate the Centennial and Yosemite’s 125th milestone year in operation. To read more about these celebrations at Yosemite, click here. Both Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19 will be fee-free days. Saturday, the park’s annual Earth Day and Junior Ranger Day Village Celebration, will run from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Yosemite Valley. For more details on that event, click here.

Yesterday, the White House posted an online video of First Lady Michelle Obama in support of the “Find Your Park” campaign. (Click on video link in the above left image box to view the video.) In a related kick-off event last month, President Barack Obama launched a national Every Kid in a Park initiative that will provide every fourth-grade student and their families with a free full-year pass that will admit them to national parks as well as other federal lands and waters.