PARK SERVICE TURNS 100, JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK JOINS THE OTHER 412 IN CELEBRATION

National Park Service supporters, visitors and staff are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service today at 413 parks nationwide. The NPS is inviting everyone to join the celebration by visiting a national park this week. There are hundreds of events taking place around the country to celebrate the centennial in unique, fun and engaging ways. National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said, “The National Park Service is unlike any other federal agency. We serve not only as stewards of the nation’s greatest landscapes, but also as keepers of its cultural heritage.” Jarvis added, “This Centennial is a celebration of our founders and their foresight to create an organization that embodies our highest ideals, our most symbolic places, and stands as the best national park system in the world.” To help everyone find a park to explore, the National Park Service is offering free admission to all 413 national parks from today, August 25 through Sunday, August 28, as part of the 16 in 16 fee-free days. Park staff at our own Joshua Tree National Park Oasis Visitor Center in Twentynine Palms invited guests to join them at 10:00 a.m. this morning for birthday cake. To celebrate the 100th anniversary and to look ahead to the next 100 years, the NPS and National Park Foundation launched the Find Your Park campaign, inviting people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation’s natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Learn more about the campaign online by visiting www.FindYourPark.com.