BOULDER CITY, Nevada -Lake Mead National Recreation Area will celebrate the 99th birthday of the National Park Service by waiving its normal entrance fee of $10 Aug. 25. Birthday cake will be available at the visitor center, starting at 1 p.m. followed by a ranger chat.
To celebrate the 99th birthday and in preparation for next year's big centennial celebration, the National Park Service has developed a list of 99 ways to Find Your Park. At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, visitors can #17 find life in the desert, #19 stand on a mountain, #21 paddle a water trail, #38 go biking, #54 use a free active military pass and more.
People are encouraged to share their experience on social media with the hashtag #FindYourPark. Select posts will even be featured on the national website www.findyourpark.com/share.
At 1 p.m. Aug. 25, rangers will provide cake to park guests at the Lake Mead Visitor Center while supplies last. Then, at 1:30 p.m., join a park ranger at the Lake Mead Visitor Center to learn about the recreational adventures available on both land and water.The lake provides a variety of opportunities for water play as well as short summer hikes where a Desert bighorn sheep or roadrunner might even be glimpsed.Call 702-293-8990 for more information.
While at the visitor center, guests can explore the cactus gardens, see a huge relief map of the park and learn about the park from exhibits. Another popular attraction is the award-winning park film, "Life in the Desert." It shows every 30 minutes in the auditorium.
Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the National Park Service. Today, there are 408 national parks throughout the country and each one tells an important part of the American story. Some commemorate notable people and achievements, others conserve magnificent landscapes and natural wonders, and all provide a place to have fun and learn. And, Aug. 25, all national parks will offer free entrance for everyone.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area was established in 1964 as the National Park Service's first national recreation area to preserve the recreation potential and scenic, historic, scientific and other important features of the area. Last year, nearly 7 million park visitors enjoyed the site and added $290 million to the local economy and supported nearly 4,000 area jobs.
The mission of the National Park Service also extends beyond park boundaries. Community partnerships help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. To see what is happening in Nevada and Arizona, go to www.nps.gov/NVand www.nps.gov/AZ.
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Learn more about Lake Mead NRA at www.nps.gov/lake. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/lakemead, Twitter www.twitter.com/lakemeadnraand Instagram www.instagram.com/lakemeadnps.
Tags: nps centennial find your park lake mead national recreation area 99th anniversary
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
