Every Kid in a Park Launches for 2017

As part of President Obama’s overall initiative to protect our nation’s unique outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has the opportunity to visit and enjoy them, the Obama Administration recently confirmed the second year of the Every Kid in a Park program, which gives fourth graders and their families free access to federal lands and waters nationwide for a full year.

Mount Rainier National Park is just one of many incredible spots where Every Kid in a Park pass holders can get their families in for free this year. Photo/US Dept. of the Interior

“The Every Kid in a Park program is unlocking natural curiosity in children by encouraging them to explore our nation’s most spectacular places,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

Inspiring a generation

By introducing fourth graders to public lands at an impressionable age, Every Kid in a Park is part of a multi-pronged approach to inspire the next generation to discover all that our nation’s public lands and waters have to offer, including opportunities to be active, spend time with friends and family, and serve as living classrooms to build critical skills.

The views from Skyline Divide are inspirational no matter what age you are. Photo by Jen Coleman.

The Every Kid in a Park program will continue each year with the new class of fourth graders. After 12 years, every school-age child in America will have had an opportunity to visit their public lands and waters for free, inspiring the next generation to be stewards of our nation’s shared natural and cultural heritage.

Get your free federal lands pass

Fourth graders can visit the visit the Every Kid in a Park website and complete a fun educational activity in order to obtain and print their pass. Students can also trade in their paper pass for a more durable pass at participating federal sites nationwide, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries.

The pass is valid from September 1, 2016 through August 31, 2017 and grants free entry for fourth graders and up to three accompanying adults (or an entire non-commerical vehicle for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 sites across the country.

Visitors to the expanded website will find several new features this year. Educators and community leaders can access educational activities, field trip options, information and tools in English and Spanish, and have the ability to print passes for their classrooms.

Parents can find additional links to plan trips to nearby public lands. The website also contains a toolkit with resources for planning field trips, along with an extended list of public lands and waters to consider for field trips.

More Resources:

• Watch a video with Every Kid in a Park highlights from last year.
• Read trip reports from Beka Stiling and Jen Coleman, who both enjoyed adventures with their kids using their passes this year.
• Get suggestions for 7 historical and science-y hikes to visit using your pass.