Seek out Your Passport

Seek out and obtain your Passport.  Your Passport to the National Parks, that is.  Is has some of the same concepts as a traditional Passport, you get it stamped at your various destinations, but it is a whole lot easier to obtain and contains more information for you than just where you have been.  I have visited many National Parks, but just recently obtained my passport at America's largest National Park: Wrangell St. Elias in Alaska.  Now I just have to "catch up" with all the Park's I visited in the past and fill in the dates.  It is fun to cruise through the Passport, finding the places you have seen and remembering the visit. It is also a great partner for assisting in planning your next trip.

The Passport to Your National Parks program started in 1986, to help travelers in the U.S. gain a broader understanding and appreciation of the treasures of America's National Parks.  It serves as a great souvenir to take with you on every trip to "log in" and have your book stamped with the cancellations of the specific park you visited. More than just a souvenir, it has a terrific overview of all the parks and includes maps, color photos and background information on the Parks. The Passport book is divided into 9 geographic travel regions making travel planning and finding specific parks much easier. You can purchase the Passport at just about every National Park, but if you are itching to get a copy right away, you may find it at www.eParks.com

The very informative Program consists of the Passport book, companion books, stamps and the park cancellations. Cancellations for your book are free of charge and are usually available at a park's Visitor's Center. Some people may have the misconception that the "stamps" are affiliated with the Postal Service, as commemorative stamps.  This is not the case, they are more akin to large stickers that highlight various features of each given Park: that fit into the Regional stamp sections of the Passport.
     Whether you have visited 1 or striving to visit all 58 National Parks, it is beneficial and enjoyable to learn about and participate in the National Parks Passport Program.  In addition to providing information about and the locations of each of the Parks, it is good to know that proceeds from the sale of Passports and stamps are donated to the National Park Service.  Enjoy the beauty of our National treasure's and.....have Passport, will travel......