Free Entry to All National Parks to Celebrate the National Park Service’s 99th Birthday on August 25

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act creating the National Park Service (NPS), a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established (now there are 408 national parks!).

To celebrate the upcoming centennial of NPS in 2016, the National Park Foundation (NPF) launched their Find Your Park campaign to encourage everyone to get up, get out there and #FindYourPark - no matter your interest.

Below are 99 ways you could celebrate NPS’ 99^th birthday on August 25, 2015 and get ready for NPS’ big 100^th birthday next year. Founders’ Day also marks fee free day to all national parks.

99 Ways to Find Your Park

http://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/nps99.htm

1             Go climbing

2             Write poetry

3             Be an urban hiker

4             Visit a National Heritage Area

5             Dance

6             Learn about climate change

7             Discover a culture new to you

8             Experience silence

9             Walk through a doorway of a historic house

10         Find inspiration in the story of a civil rights leader

11         Go on a ranger-led tour #rangerspointingatthings

12         Hug a tree

13         Make a memory

14         Earn a Jr. Ranger badge

15         Relax on the banks of a scenic river

16         Celebrate innovation

17         Find life in a desert

18         Get inspired by a First Lady

19         Stand on a mountaintop

20         Bring a kid to a park

21         Paddle a water trail

22         Take a photo that matches a historic one #retrogram

23         Try something new

24         Channel your inner Bill Nye—become a citizen scientist

25         Walk a historic main street

26         Find your park in Spanish #encuentratuparque

27         Explore a cave

28         Go green

29         Brush up your national park trivia skills

30         Scout a park, boys and girls!

31         Make art in a park

32         Celebrate Native American heritage

33         Come sail away

34         Take a picnic and dine al fresco

35         Be bear aware

36         Hit the road

37         Enlighten yourself at a historic lighthouse

38         Go biking

39         Explore Asian American and Pacific Islander culture in America

40         Feel the sand between your toes

41         Share your story

42         Learn about endangered species

43         Join us

44         Follow NPS on social media

45         Follow the footsteps of a woman who made history

46         Get in the know about H2O

47         Bee pollinator friendly

48         Get VIP status

49         Catch a wave

50         Immerse yourself in a living history program

51         Hit record

52         Get prehistoric

53         Improve your health—get a park Rx

54         Use your free active military pass

55         Get reel—Visit a park featured in your favorite movie

56         Join a trail clean-up

57         See the sea

58         Discover a traditional tribal cultural practice

59         Let Elmo and Murray be your guides

60         Mail a postcard

61         Discover history around you

62         Make new friends

63         Raft down a river

64         Pay your respects at a national cemetery

65         Pick a POTUS

66         Take a mini-cruise

67         Plan ahead and prepare

68         Walk nature's treadmill

69         Pose for a family photo in a park

70         Recognize women who made history

71         Reflect on our most difficult stories

72         Stamp your park passport

73         Ride on a historic carousel

74         Run

75         See history from a different perspective

76         Renew your spirit

77         See how NPS helps transform your community

78         Go fish

79         See the starry, starry night

80         Make a splash

81         Share a #tbt park photo

82         Discover the beauty of our nation's other public lands

83         Sleep outside

84         Spread the love—thank a park volunteer

85         Plan the best field trip ever

86         Visit our international sisters

87         Trash Your Trash

88         Find a monument and decode history

89         Travel the Underground Railroad

90         Use the buddy system!

91         Visit for free on our 99th birthday

92         Wander an American battlefield

93         Watch wildlife

94         Take a deep breath

95         Go wild: Experience wilderness

96         Use a national park lesson plan

97         Play

98         Take a sunrise selfie

99         Get ready to celebrate with us in 2016!