MEDORA, ND: Theodore Roosevelt National Park invites the public to "Find Your Park" during National Park Week, April 18 -26. Entrance to the park will be free on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19.
"Find Your Park" is this year's theme, inviting people everywhere to discover their own unique connections to the parks and other programs managed by the National Park Service. Find Your Park connects people to parks for recreation, wellness, community, education, history, culture, and preservation. National Park Week is the perfect time to get up, get out, and find your park.
As spring returns to the badlands, visitors to Theodore Roosevelt National Park may be able to see migratory birds returning, newborn bison or horses, and early blooming wildflowers. The park is perfect for hiking and horseback riding.
"So many people have moved into the area recently and we'd like to introduce them to the park," said Chief of Interpretation Eileen Andes. "The park has so much to offer as far as recreation and family activities. We have something for just about everyone."
National Park Week marks the opening of the park's annual "Picture Yourself in Theodore Roosevelt National Park" photo contest, cosponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association (TRNHA). Submissions will be accepted between Saturday, April 18 and Monday, August 31. Photographers may submit up to two images taken in the park between Sept. 1, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015. Information and complete submission instructions are available on TRNHA's website at www.trnha.org/pictureyourselfintrnp.html.
Other free National Park Week activities at the park's South Unit Visitor Center include:
* Saturday at the Movies: the first episode of Ken Burns's "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," free popcorn provided by TRNHA, Saturday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Maltese Cross Cabin Tours: 15 -20 minute, ranger-led tours of Theodore Roosevelt's first home in the badlands, Sunday, April 19, 10:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
* Activity Days: explore the Mystery Touch Table, Build Your Own (paper) Teddy Bear, Dress Like a Ranger, and Where is TR?, Monday -Friday, April 20 -24, 8:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m.
* Picture Yourself in Theodore Roosevelt National Park: have your photo taken with a virtual Theodore Roosevelt in front of his actual Maltese Cross Cabin, Saturday, April 25, 8:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m., weather permitting
* A Taste of Summer Campfire Programs: a short-and-sweet sampling of summer ranger campfire programs, topics vary, 20 minutes, Sunday, April 26, 2:00 -4:00 p.m.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
