Find Your Park at C and O Canal NHP during National Park Week

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Date: April 14, 2015
Contact: Catherine Bragaw, 301-714-2238

WASHINGTON –"Find Your Park" while you explore 184.5 miles of history, natural features, and recreation along the Chesapeake &Ohio Canal National Historical Park during National Park Week from April 18-26. On April 18 and 19, the C&O Canal NHP will offer fee free days, while also hosting special programs for National Junior Ranger Day on April 18.The park will also feature 3 volunteer events to show your "Canal Pride".

"As we start to gear up for another exciting season along the C&O Canal, we welcome visitors to celebrate National Park Week, as well as National Junior Ranger Day," C&O Canal NHP Superintendent Kevin Brandt said. "Along with those programs, we encourage visitors to share their National Park stories online at FindYourPark.com as the National Park Service prepares for its centennial celebrate in 2016."

Explore the Canal along the Great Falls, Maryland area with a Park Ranger to earn a C&O Canal Junior Ranger badge. Guided Junior Ranger activities will be offered throughout the day at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center between11:00am and 4:00pm.

10:00am –4:00pm or join a ranger on a walk exploring the towpath at 10:00am and 1:30pm.  

In addition, the 8th annual Canal Pride Day kickoff season will run from April to May, including volunteer cleanup opportunities all along the Towpath from D.C. to Cumberland. Groups, families, individuals, and businesses are all welcome and encouraged to participate in the following events:

·Saturday, April 18, 2015, 9am - 12pm, Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

·Saturday, April 25, 2015, 9am –12pm, Williamsport Visitor Center

·Saturday, May 2, 2015, 9am - 12pm, Paw Paw Campground

Please visit www.canaltrust.org for more information on Canal Pride Events.

C&O Canal NHP stretches 184.5 mile from Georgetown in DC to Cumberland, MD. The C&O Canal was constructed over 22 years and operated from 1850-1924 as a water route for hauling coal, lumber, and other goods. The C&O Canal became a National Monument in 1961, thanks in part to the efforts of concerned citizens who sought to preserve the canal environment, and in 1971 the C&O Canal became a National Historical Park. Today, the entire 184.5 mile long towpath is open to visitors. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/choh.

"Find Your Park" is the theme for this year's National Park Week, April 18 –26. Launched March 30 by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, Find Your Park is a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for its second century of service.

"Find Your Park" invites the public to see that a national park can be more than a place –it can be a feeling, a state of mind, and a sense of American pride. Beyond vast landscapes, the campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as the National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities nationwide.

Visit www.NationalParkWeek.org to learn more about how you can join parks, programs, and partners in celebrating National Park Week across the country.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 407 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.



Last updated: April 14, 2015

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