UNITED STATES—The National Park Service (NAPS) celebrates its 103rd birthday on Sunday, August 25 by gifting free admission to the public during business hours across the country. The news was announcement by National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith.
NPS owns 418 sites across the United States. Popular areas in California include: Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree. Other well-known national parks include: Great Smoky Mountains, Zion National Park in Utah and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
The establishments were designed to encourage safe spontaneous outdoor events; rock climbing, camping, family outings, road trips, and other #scenic pleasures.
“We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun,” states the NPS on its website.
According to the NPS, in 2018 profits from visitors estimated nearly $18.2 billion which supported 306,000 jobs, contributing $35.8 billion overall to the U.S. economy.
President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service act on August 25, 1916. The Department of Interior has been responsible for protecting national parks and monuments.
More free days are scheduled on Saturday, September 28, honoring National Public Lands Day, and on Monday, November 11, in honor of Veterans Day. For more details or for those with questions visit NPS.gov.
