Yellowstone National Park will be offering free admission Tuesday, August 25 in celebration of the National Park Service’s 99th anniversary.
The typical $30 entrance fee is being waived in conjunction with the 99 Ways to Find Your Park initiative, an NPS program that seeks to connect park visitors across the world through various activities as diverse as camping, poetry writing, planning future trips, and reflecting on your future.
Every national park in the United States will offer free admission August 25. And visitors to any national park are also being encouraged to share their experiences on social media with the #FindYourPark hashtag.
“The 99th birthday is an opportunity to make a connection to any of the National Park Service sites across the country,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk in a Yellowstone press release. “We believe these experiences create future stewards and advocates to ensure the National Park Service mission is alive and strong in another 99 years.”
The National Park Service began after President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation August 25, 1916; before this, Yellowstone National Park had been managed by the U.S. Cavalry, which established a fort in the Mammoth Hot Springs Area.
Since that act, the NPS has come to manage 408 parks throughout the country. They run the gamut from natural wonders to commemorations of important people and events. They stand as monuments to foresightedness, offers spaces for fun, and act as forums for future development. Every national park is both a part of our heritage and a part of our legacy.