Green Friday “Deals” at National Parks You Don’t Want to Miss

Start a new tradition this year with Green Friday.

NPS / Mina Moore

Who doesn’t love a good deal the day after Thanksgiving? If you need a break from Black Friday shopping, check out our amazing Green Friday deals! Green Friday encourages everyone to get outdoors and visit national parks and public lands the Friday after Thanksgiving as an alternative or addition to shopping. Our list of Green Friday "deals" may not be for actual shopping discounts but are amazing benefits to visiting your national parks. We even have some "cyber deals" for those who can't make it to a park in person.

Found an amazing Green Friday deal you enjoyed a national park? Inspire others and share your experience on social media using #GreenFriday.

Many of our landscapes are naturally kept pretty wild.

Courtesy Grace Hassler

Deals for Lawn & Garden

National parks preserve beautiful areas of land for current and future generations of Americans to enjoy. And you are not directly responsible for doing the yardwork (unless you want to work for us or volunteer!). With more than 400 national parks across the country, we have just about every landscape you can imagine—forests, meadows, swamps, deserts, farmland, and curated gardens just to name a few. Almost everywhere you turn is a picture-perfect view, so bring your camera. Most national parks are also in or within an hour of a city; maybe closer than you realize.

Check the park's calendar on Green Friday or throughout the year for health and fitness programs to learn something new or be part of a group while exercising.

Courtesy Steven Friedman

Deals for Health & Fitness

Explore the health benefits of national parks. There are countless opportunities for fitness outdoors, whether you to walk, run, paddle, bicycle, swim, horseback ride, rock climb, snowshoe… Most national parks, even historic sites, have places to get in a little exercise. Spending time in nature or connecting with history and heritage is good for our mental health, too. Remember to plan ahead and be prepared for your activity, even if it is just a casual workout.

New in 2024! Join other runners, walkers, cyclists, and paddlers across the country for your own bison trot challenge in a park during the long Thanksgiving weekend and run off the leftovers together. After your visit, share your pictures and experience online with #NPSBisonTrot.

You can create virtual postcards in the NPS App to send to your friends and family!

Courtesy Laura Cohen

Deals for Phones

If you have a smartphone, download the free NPS App to have parks at your fingertips. It is a great tool to plan your trip before or during your visit. The app features places and things to do in each park prepped by park rangers. You can also download a park for offline use, which is especially handy for having a map at all times.

This mountain lion was ready for her closeup. What or who will you spot on camera?

NPS Photo

Deals for Webcams & Streaming Bundles

The National Park Service has more than 200 webcams at parks across the country. Many of these webcams are set up to monitor wildlife and air-quality while also offering free streaming or time-lapsed footage. While we can’t promise an exact catalog of shows (because nature happens on its own), viewers have enjoyed highlights such as sunrises, active volcanoes, kelp forests, mountain lions, cityscapes, and more!

Web Cam Disclaimer: If a webcam is not showing anything, it may not be broken and do not try to adjust your screen. Some webcams are seasonal, under maintenance, or simply waiting for the sun to come up in its time zone.

How many Junior Ranger badges can you collect?

NPS / Hannah Schwalbe

Deals for Kids

Most national parks have a Junior Ranger program that is often free! Kids—and kids at heart—can complete a fun activity book to learn about the park while exploring it. They can take the pledge to protect and preserve national parks to join the inclusive club of official Junior Rangers. Possibly even earn a badge!

Cyber Option Available! Can’t make it to a park in person? Many Junior Ranger books and activities are available online through our Kids Portal! Find even more games and challenges for people of all ages.

In addition to online resources you can use in classrooms, you may be able to schedule a park ranger to meet your class in a park or in your classroom in-person or online.

NPS / Alex Cohen

Deals for Teachers

For teachers in schools and at home, find hundreds of free educational resources in our Educators Portal, including lesson plans, fun activities, and virtual classroom programs. Since national parks preserve and share our nation’s natural and cultural heritage, there are education resources for a big variety of topics and for all age groups!

Some artwork, including sculptures and murals, can be found in communities or outdoors. These works of art can also tell an important part of our nation's history.

NPS / Anthony DeYoung

Deals for Arts & Culture

If your family has a tradition of visiting museums the day after Thanksgiving, the National Park Service collectively has one of the largest museum and art collections in the country. Most national parks have a museum, often in their visitor center, where you can explore history, cultural heritage, nature, and ongoing scientific research on a wide range of topics. National parks are also home to art by artists of many backgrounds throughout history in the forms of paintings, sculptures, drawings, fiber arts, music, theater, and much more.

National Heritage Areas highlight the special character and heritage of your region, like historic sites, natural wonders, and museums.

NPS Photo

Deals Around Town

If you are not coming to a national park, look closer to home. The National Park Service has many partners and programs that preserve and share history, culture, nature, and recreation in communities across the county. Check your neighborhood for a national heritage area, national historic landmark, or national natural landmark to learn about and experience your local community.

Important Note: Most of these places are not managed by the National Park Service and may even be privately owned. Please respect their rules, especially about public access and permitted activities.

Green Friday is all about experiencing your national parks. The journey can be just as rewarding as the destination.

Courtesy of Rachel Chandler

Share Your Great Finds

We all love it when we make a great find or deal. Share your experience and inspire others to come out, too. National parks offer stunning or interesting backdrops for photos for your personal albums or sharing with family and friends on social media using the #GreenFriday.

Trip Planning Tools

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  Find a Park

  Locate parks near you to visit on Green Friday.

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  NPS App

  Download a free app to help plan before and during your park visit.

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  Find Your Virtual Park

  Stay connected to parks, even if you can’t make it in person.