“Picture Yourself in a National Park” as the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation present National Park Week 2012.  With nearly 400 national parks – and FREE admission all week long – there are thousands of ways to enjoy this highly anticipated annual event.  In fact, National Park Week is the perfect opportunity to i ntroduce a young person to a national park because a park is the perfect place get active and stay fit.

From hiking to biking to swimming, nature walks, kayaking, or bird watching, there are great outdoor activities in national parks for visitors of all ages.  By introducing kids to these majestic places, we give the gift of learning a healthy lifestyle and help guarantee the future of parks for generations to come.

“During National Park Week, stroll a woodland path or around the grounds of a presidential home. Kayak through a mangrove forest or on an urban waterway. All 397 national parks are great places to get some exercise while taking in spectacular scenery or learning something new,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Whether you go to a natural, historical, or recreational site, or an urban, suburban, or rural park, every national park provides a place to exercise both the body and the mind. There really is something for everyone in every national park.”

“National Park Week is the perfect time to experience all that our national parks have to offer,” said Neil Mulholland, President & CEO of the National Park Foundation.  “It is also an invitation to join the community of national park supporters.  Visit, volunteer or get involved with the Foundation or any one of the local friends groups that support our parks.

Together, we can make this National Park Week one to remember.”