Families of fourth graders can explore national parks for free

Fourth grade students can get a free annual pass to visit more than 2,000 federal recreation areas with their families, classmates and friends.

The Every Kid Outdoors Program is an interagency collaboration between the Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Forest Service that provides fourth graders with free access to explore, learn and recreate in spectacular settings, including national parks, wildlife refuges, marine sanctuaries and forests.

“Introducing fourth grade students to America’s public lands provides them with limitless opportunities to have fun, be active, improve fitness, and learn critical skills,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “Visits on class trips or family vacations to the rich variety of astonishing landscapes and historic treasures located on public lands will result in unforgettable experiences and, hopefully, forge lifelong connections to the outdoors.”

The bipartisan John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 12, authorized funding for Every Kid Outdoors for the next seven years.

To obtain the free pass, fourth grade students can visit the Every Kid Outdoors website at nps.gov/everykid outdoors, participate in a short educational activity and download a voucher.

The voucher is valid for multiple use between Sept. 1, 2019, and Aug. 31, 2020, to correspond to the traditional school year. The voucher may be exchanged for a keepsake pass at participating federal lands.

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