Celebrate National Park Week Starting Saturday

LARAMIE -- Get ready to celebrate National Park Week starting Saturday, April 20 to Sunday, the 28. Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs and events.

To kick off National Park Week, all entrance fees are waived on Saturday, April 20! There are also special days during the week to highlight the different ways you can enjoy your national parks, including Military and Veterans Recognition Day, Earth Day, Transportation Tuesday, Wild Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Friendship Friday, Bark Ranger day for you and your dog, and Park Rx Day to close out the week’s activities.

Visit nps.com and search for National park Week for details on the week’s events.

As Yellowstone National Park continues to thaw, certain roads will soon begin opening.

Those routes include the West Entrance to Old Faithful, Norris to Canyon Village and Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful.

The road from the Northeast to North Entrance is open year-round.

And remember, admission to the park will be free on Saturday, April 20, to celebrate National Park Week.

Springtime in Yellowstone means fewer crowds, opportunities for hiking at lower elevations and skiing or snowshoeing at higher elevations. Wildlife viewing highlights this time of year include bison calving, bears recently emerged from dens, bull elk antlers in velvet and the arrival of migratory birds."

At Devil’s Tower in northeast Wyoming, some trail routes are annually closed in order to protect nesting prairie or peregrine falcons. Routes are frequently closed between March and July.

Starting April 1, specific climbing routes on the Tower are closed to protect nesting falcons. The closure may be modified throughout the spring based on nesting behavior.

During this time nesting activity is monitored by park staff. Routes will be reopened when no nesting activity is observed. Climbing near raptor nests stresses the birds and often leads to chick death. Defensive raptor behavior is also potentially dangerous for climbers, so please check for route closures when you register to climb. Rangers will strictly enforce these closures.

Visit nps.com and search for route closures to see the entire list of closed routes.

Just like Wyoming spring weather, Road conditions are always changing. If you are planning to visit our parks, you are encouraged to check the park's website at nps.gov or call 307-344-2117 when planning your trip.