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100+ Ways to Explore Nature 

Arches National Park-NPS Photo / M. Reed

Celebrate and explore nature in a national park with one (or more!) of these 100+ ways.

1. Find Your Park – There are over 400 national park units to choose from, where will you visit?

2. Go hiking

3. Sleep under the stars at one of 130 campgrounds in national park units

4. Go climbing

5. Hit the trail on your bike

6. Observe the world around you, watch wildlife in any season

7. Learn about the stars at a night sky program

8. Take a deep breath in nature (ahh, fresh air!)

9. Enjoy the view from home – check out the NPS Air Quality webcams and get current air quality information

10. Sink your toes in the sand at one of the ocean parks

11. Earn a badge in one of the Junior Ranger programs

12. #FindYourWay and float down a wild and scenic river

13. Have a picnic and be sure to store your food properly!

14. Go on a ranger led tour, see if you can spot #RangersPointingAtThings

15. Bring a kid to a park – thanks to the Every Kid in a Park program, 4th graders get free admission to national parks

16. Explore biodiversity in parks

17. Bee pollinator friendly, plant a pollinator garden

18. Discover the secret lives of bats

19. Learn about an endangered species

20. Lay down and watch the clouds roll by

21. Visit a park with bears

22. Be bear aware

23. Create art in a park

24. Watch an episode of Outside Science (inside parks)

25. Explore the seashore with these seashore activities

Fishing at Fire Island National Seashore

NPS Photo

1. Go fishing

2. Boost your mood with a Park Prescription... Simply spend time outside!

3. Browse the Explore Nature photo gallery on Flickr

4. Rummage through a scientist’s desk

5. Explore a cave

6. Make your own cave at home

7. Learn about America’s Natural Wonders – the National Natural Landmarks

8. Hug a tree! Examine the bark, how does it feel and smell?

9. Discover what’s beneath the surface of the ocean

10. Dive into a park and learn about submerged resouces

11. Find bison at home on the range

12. Find evidence of an ancient life with Fossils and Paleontology

13. Explore America’s geologic legacy

14. Explore science in parks at Research Learning Centers

15. Go paddleboarding on a lake

16. Go water skiing

17. Learn about your favorite wild animal

18. Learn about the different ocean habitats

19. Experience a natural phenomena

20. Experience the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017

21. Celebrate our geological heritage on National Fossil Day

22. Go for a bike ride in your neighborhood, notice the weather

23. Strike a pose in a park! Share your photos with us using #ParkPose

24. Take a photo in a park that matches a historic one, use hashtag #retrogram and #tbt

25. Plan a field trip to a national park

Visitors at Great Sand Dunes National Park

NPS Photo / M. Reed

1. Take an urban hike through a city park

2. Go tubing on a scenic river

3. Visit one of the famous trees in national parks

4. Follow a journey of Science at Sea in the Gulf of Mexico

5. Get a senior park pass

6. Find a career in science

7. Get up to speed on nature news

8. Become a volunteer

9. Become an artist in residence

10. Travel a trail by horseback

11. Take a closer look – examine the petals of a flower

12. Watch a video and get your eye on science

13. Explore a national heritage area

14. Take Instagram-worthy photos like a pro with these quick tips

15. Go on a nature photo scavenger hunt

16. Build your own compass to help you get around

17. Go birding, check out these helpful tips for beginners

18. Host a "bativity" to learn more about bats

19. Watch the sunrise

20. Watch the sunset

21. Get some vitamin sea – go surfing!

22. Take a photo at the same place in a park at all 4 seasons, notice the changes.

23. Go kayaking or canoeing

24. Go boating

25. See fish up close – go snorkeling or diving!

Snorkelers on Elkhorn Coral in Biscayne National Park

NPS Photo

1. Go on a bug hunt in your backyard – what kind of insects can you find?

2. Discover the different types of ocean life

3. Travel through geologic time online

4. See the power of tectonic plates

5. Learn about different land surfaces and park landforms

6. Get immersed in caves and karst with these children’s books

7. Dig into prehistoric paleontology and learn about fossils in parks

8. Geology is extreme! See a list of highest, deepest, and widest geologic formations in parks

9. Find a conservation internship program with Scientists in Parks

10. Experience your America everyday by working with the NPS

11. Go dog sledding

12. Go snowmobiling

13. Go snoeshoeing

14. Stargaze

15. Explore natural sounds from home in the sound gallery

16. Listen closely – enhance your soundscape with these listening tips

17. Learn the 7 ways to safely watch wildlife

18. Watch wildlife from home

19. Camp in your backyard

20. Visit a park and keep a journal about what you experience

21. Tell a friend about your favorite national park experience, inspire them to visit!

22. Draw a picture of your favorite place outdoors

23. Visit Explore Nature online

24. Be a friend to nature. Like Explore Nature on Facebook

25. Tweet! Follow Explore Nature on Twitter

26. InstaLike! Follow Explore Nature on Instagram

Our National Parks Are Places of Wonder and Discovery

National parks are great places to explore anything kids can imagine. Go on an outdoor adventure. Walk in the footsteps of famous people. Take in unique scenery. Explore new interests. Experience real places you may have only heard about. But most of all, national parks are places where you can have fun and create memories that last a lifetime.

Every Kid Outdoors for 4th Graders

Introducing 4th graders to national parks and other public lands and waters.

Visit Parks With Kids

You never know what you might see and do at a national park near you.

Explore Junior Ranger Activity Books

Nearly every park has a Junior Ranger activity.

Junior Ranger Online

Explore online activities, virtual tours, and more.