101 Ways to Explore Nature

Arches National Park

NPS Photo / M. Reed

On August 25, 2017, the National Park Service will turn 101! Celebrate and explore nature in one (or more!) of these 101 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

26. Go fishing
27. Boost your mood with a Park Prescription... Simply spend time outside!
28. Browse the Explore Nature photo gallery on Flickr
29. Rummage through a scientist’s desk
30. Explore a cave
31. Make your own cave at home
32. Learn about America’s Natural Wonders – the National Natural Landmarks
33. Hug a tree! Examine the bark, how does it feel and smell?
34. Discover what’s beneath the surface of the ocean
35. Dive into a park and learn about submerged resouces
36. Find bison at home on the range
37. Find evidence of an ancient life with Fossils and Paleontology
38. Explore America’s geologic legacy
39. Explore science in parks at Research Learning Centers
40. Go paddleboarding on a lake
41. Go water skiing
42. Learn about your favorite wild animal
43. Learn about the different ocean habitats
44. Experience a natural phenomena
45. Experience the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017
46. Celebrate our geological heritage on National Fossil Day
47. Go for a bike ride in your neighborhood, notice the weather
48. Strike a pose in a park! Share your photos with us using #ParkPose
49. Take a photo in a park that matches a historic one, use hashtag #retrogram and #tbt
50. Plan a field trip to a national park

Visitors at Great Sand Dunes National Park

NPS Photo / M. Reed

51. Take an urban hike through a city park
52. Go tubing on a scenic river
53. Visit one of the famous trees in national parks
54. Follow a journey of Science at Sea in the Gulf of Mexico
55. Get a senior park pass
56. Find a career in science
57. Get up to speed on nature news
58. Become a volunteer
59. Become an artist in residence
60. Travel a trail by horseback
61. Take a closer look – examine the petals of a flower
62. Watch a video and get your eye on science
63. Explore a national heritage area
64. Take Instagram-worthy photos like a pro with these quick tips
65. Go on a nature photo scavenger hunt
66. Build your own compass to help you get around
67. Go birding, check out these helpful tips for beginners
68. Host a "bativity" to learn more about bats
69. Watch the sunrise
70. Watch the sunset
71. Get some vitamin sea – go surfing!
72. Take a photo at the same place in a park at all 4 seasons, notice the changes.
73. Go kayaking or canoeing
74. Go boating
75. See fish up close – go snorkeling or diving!

Snorkelers on Elkhorn Coral in Biscayne National Park

NPS Photo

76. Go on a bug hunt in your backyard – what kind of insects can you find?
77. Discover the different types of ocean life
78. Travel through geologic time online
79. See the power of tectonic plates
80. Learn about different land surfaces and park landforms
81. Get immersed in caves and karst with these children’s books
82. Dig into prehistoric paleontology and learn about fossils in parks
83. Geology is extreme! See a list of highest, deepest, and widest geologic formations in parks
84. Find a conservation internship program with Scientists in Parks
85. Experience your America everyday by working with the NPS
86. Go dog sledding
87. Go snowmobiling
88. Go snoeshoeing
89. Stargaze
90. Explore natural sounds from home in the sound gallery
91. Listen closely – enhance your soundscape with these listening tips
92. Learn the 7 ways to safely watch wildlife
93. Watch wildlife from home
94. Camp in your backyard
95. Visit a park and keep a journal about what you experience
96. Tell a friend about your favorite national park experience, inspire them to visit!
97. Draw a picture of your favorite place outdoors
98. Visit Explore Nature online
99. Be a friend to nature. Like Explore Nature on Facebook
100. Tweet! Follow Explore Nature on Twitter
101. InstaLike! Follow Explore Nature on Instagram