Getting your National Park Passport
Every vacation for my family almost always means a stop in one of the many spots managed by the National Park Service. Whether it means a trip to Acadia National Park or one of the many monuments in DC, we’ve always been impressed with our visits and we intend to visit many more with our sons in the future.
With so many parks to see (there are 392 locations including 58 parks), I was excited to recently discover the “Passport to Your National Parks.” Available for purchase at stores run by the National Park Service, the passport is a small travelogue. It contains maps, facts, and photographs, perfect to get big and little visitors excited for travels across the country.
Features of the Passport to Your National Parks:
- Rubber Stamp Cancellations – Similar to the stamps you receive on your international passport, travelers can request a stamp from each National Park location they visit. The stamp includes the name of the park and the date visited and are offered free of charge.
- Annual Commemorative Stamp Series – Each year the Park Service releases a sheet of ten collector’s stamps. Each stamp features a picture and information about one park. Every year one park is chosen to represent each region. These stamps have been printed since 1986 and are still available for purchase in park gift shops.
- “The Kids’ Passport to Your National Parks Companion” – At 100 pages, this book is part guidebook and part field journal. It’s the perfect way to involve your child in planning trips to the parks and enhancing their visit.
- “The Passport Explorer Edition” – An upgrade to the regular edition is available in a larger, soft covered binder. “The Passport Explorer Edition” allows frequent park travelers to include all of the commemorative stamps, while the smaller edition can fit five years worth of stamps. Expander packs are also sold with additional pages.
“The Passport to Your National Parks” and “The Passport Explorer Edition” are a wonderful way to learn more about the National Parks and record family adventures. You can purchase the passports and companion pieces here or at the gift shops located in most parks.
Chris Flynn is mom to two rambunctious boys. A homebody at heart, Chris fell in love and found herself moving around like a gypsy. When she isn’t packing, on a plane, or in a car, you can find her at Mom’s Favorite Stuff or on Twitter.
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Image of Glacier National Park Sign courtesy of Lee Coursey.
re: Getting your National Park Passport
I have the passport for me and my 7 year old. We travel to national parks all the time. There is also a junior ranger program for children to do that at most parks is free of charge and a few they want you to buy the workbook for a couple of dollars. If the kids complete the requirements for there age, my daughter started at 4 and is still doing it activly now, they get a badge or patch and a certificate. She loves this program and its a great way to get the kids outdoors. Not all parks have it but most do visit nps.gov and go to the park you want to visit and look for it. Even the smaller parks do it.