Plan an American Adventure Vacation with an “Every Kid in a Park” Pass.  I have mentioned this park pass option for the last five years because it is a super cool way for families who live with a fourth-grader to have an adventure together for free, well almost free. The nationwide program allows participants to obtain a pass that provides free access to all federally managed lands and waters – including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries.

Here’s the scoop. To take advantage of the program go to  “Every Kid in a Park” website to obtain a pass. The pass is valid for the school year and grants free entry for fourt-graders and three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 federally-managed sites.

 
By introducing fourth graders to public lands in their backyards and beyond at an early age, Every Kid in a Park is part of a multi-pronged approach to inspire the next generation to discover all that our nation’s public lands and waters have to offer, including opportunities to be active, spend time with friends and family.

 
Fourth graders are invited to log onto www.everykidinapark.gov and complete an entertaining, educational activity in order to obtain and print their paper pass. Students may also trade in their paper pass for a more durable pass at participating federal sites nationwide.

Parents visiting the new website will find additional links for more information on planning trips to nearby public lands and some of the most remarkable places in America. 

As an integral component of this effort, the National Park Foundation (NPF) – the congressionally chartered foundation of the National Park Service – will award Every Kid in a Park transportation grants, focusing on removing barriers for youth from underserved communities to get to their parks, public lands and waters. For more information, visit www.nationalparks.org.

The Every Kid in a Park program is designed to continue each year with the then-current group of fourth graders. After twelve years, every school-age child in America will have had an opportunity to visit their public land and waters for free, inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our nation’s shared natural and cultural heritage.

Make it happen. For more information, visit www.everykidinapark.gov, follow the program on Twitter @everykidinapark, on Facebook, on Instagram or Youtube.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 408 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. For more information visit www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.