Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
Thanks to my rising fifth grader, Dylan, my family just wrapped up an epic year visiting America’s national parks. Dylan and his little brother - who was pleased to be along for the ride - are heading back to school full of stories about the places they’ve been and the histories they’ve connected with while exploring America’s network of protected public lands and historic sites. And it was all thanks to the Every Kid Outdoors program.
Every Kid Outdoors provides free entry passes to National Parks, Forests, Refuges, Historic Sites and other federally managed public lands and waters to every fourth grader in America and their families. With more than 400 national park service sites alone, there are dozens of opportunities to get outdoors and explore right in your own backyard. Starting September 1 each year, parents, teachers and guardians can work with their ten year olds to visit and download an Every Kid Outdoors voucher to begin their journey.
Our journey started close to home at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. Dylan joined a group of local students for an Every Kid Outdoors celebration event hosted by the Outdoors Alliance for Kids and the National Park Trust. More than 40 new fourth graders got their Every Kid Outdoors pass on the only roller-skating rink found within a National Park. Anacostia is a vibrant national park in the heart of Washington, D.C. with walking, biking and rolling trails, picnic areas and playgrounds, and even an aquatic center where kids can learn about the native fish and amphibians that inhabit the riverside park.
Dylan receives his Every Kid Outdoors pass from a National Park Ranger at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
Our family next adventured to Great Falls Park, just miles from home, where the Potomac River gathers speed and creates a beautiful series of waterfalls. Dylan enjoyed rock scrambling with his friends, watching the kayakers attempt the falls, and the chance to bring his dog on the journey.
Just a few hours drive from Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park provided an excellent respite from city life, with beautiful trails, flowing creeks, and abundant wildlife. Crunching over fallen leaves, Dylan enjoyed a peaceful fall hike on the Pocosin Hollow Trail, in the Appalachian Trail landscape.
Walking through fallen leaves in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
We got a bit more adventurous as the school year progressed. Our family had the opportunity of a lifetime to go ice climbing with a group of youth from Detroit’s public schools at the invitation of the Detroit Outdoors collaborative. With Downwind Sports - an experienced guide - we learned the basics of ice climbing and explored the beautiful ice formations at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It was nine degrees fahrenheit that day in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Once we got handwarmers in those gloves, Dylan was unstoppable on the ice.
Tied in and ready to climb the ice at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
We made a trip to Gettysburg National Military Park, not far from where I grew up in Pennsylvania. Walking on the battlefield, flanked by cannons, we learned about the Battle of Gettysburg, the critical turning point in the Civil War resulting in Union victory. Dylan had a chance to read excerpts of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. He even asked if he could buy a book about Lincoln in the gift shop to deepen his learning.
Dylan shares his Every Kid Outdoors pass with a statue of President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
Our family spent spring break exploring the tidepools, cliffs and forests of Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine. We also visited lush green forests that reminded Dylan of his video game Zelda, which he barely missed at all when we were in the park.
Exploring the tidepools in Acadia National Park in Maine. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
On Juneteenth, we were all grateful to deepen our learning of Harriet Tubman’s heroic life at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on Maryland’s eastern shore. Following her own escape from slavery, Tubman guided another seventy enslaved people to freedom in the north, and then led an armed combat mission where she rescued another 700 enslaved people - and so much more. The historic site paints a vivid picture of Tubman’s life and recounts her dedication to freedom. The historic site is located next to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge which is believed to be a former hiding place for enslaved people on their journey to freedom.
Dylan reads about the Underground Railroad at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Maryland. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
Seeking to escape the heat, our family took a trip to Colorado for a few weeks over the summer. On our way, we made a small detour to the town of Nicodemus in Kansas to learn about the oldest remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River, established after the Civil War. The Nicodemus National Historic Site protects the legacy of formerly enslaved Black people as they founded their own town, in search of freedom and self-determination.
Dylan outside the Nicodemus town hall, now a visitor center at Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
We hiked through the beautiful meadows and forests of Rocky Mountain National Park during one of our more strenuous adventures – at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet – encountering deer, elk, marmots and chipmunks along the way. Dylan and his little brother really enjoyed the cool, crisp air - it was some much needed respite from the extreme heat of summers in Washington, D.C.
Dylan and his little brother hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
Perhaps my personal favorite, Great Sand Dunes National Park was straight out of a movie. We arrived around sunset and ran, rolled and collapsed from exhaustion among the dunes. As it started to get dark, we made a family decision to stick around and see the stars. Looking up at the night sky, Dylan and his brother saw their first shooting star. It was a late night for everyone, but well worth the wait to be among the infinite stars in what we later learned was an International Dark Sky Park.
Dylan and me at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado before the sun went down. Photo by Jackie Ostfeld.
I can’t imagine a better way to spend fourth grade than getting to know America the Beautiful. From nearby national parks and historic sites to further away adventures, I will always cherish the time I got to spend with my family this year, facilitated and encouraged by the Every Kid Outdoors program.
At a time when our children are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, Every Kid Outdoors is a reminder to get them to turn off the screens and get outdoors. A promise to a generation left indoors, the program is here to help your family experience the parks, historic sites and public lands that make America so special.