This August, National Park Week is scheduled from August 22 to 30, perfectly timed to celebrate both the National Park Service's 110th birthday and the 250th anniversary of American independence. The theme this year is “Celebrate America’s Story,” and what could be a better way to do that than with an end-of-the-summer RV road trip to one of our country’s spectacular national park sites?
By August, flights are at their priciest and hotel rates in gateway towns near the national parks have surged right along with them. An RV vacation sidesteps all of that. There's no airfare, no hotel markup, just your family travel dollars going straight to experiencing the parks themselves. It's by far the most affordable way to close out summer, and it will be sure to be one of the most meaningful, too.
What's Happening During National Park Week
This isn't just a themed hashtag. National Park Week 2026 kicks off August 22 with National Junior Ranger Day, when kids can dive into hands-on activities and earn an official Junior Ranger badge at parks across the country. Check out what the parks are planning, and map out your own Junior Ranger Day here.
On August 25, the National Park Service officially turns 110, and in celebration, entrance fees are waived nationwide for U.S. residents. Take advantage of this cost-saving and see what a nearby national park site has planned.
Every park runs its own lineup, but here are some of the highlights visitors are looking forward to across the country:
- Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA: With the 250th anniversary as the backdrop, there's no more fitting stop than the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence. Expect ranger-led talks and history programs built around "Celebrate America's Story," steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC: The most visited national park in the country runs a full slate of ranger programs and Junior Ranger activities during National Park Week, and it's already fee-free 365 days a year, making it a favorite destination for RVers.
- Gateway Arch National Park, St. Louis, MO: This is the perfect Midwest destination for the park’s anniversary theme, with programming that connects the westward expansion story to the national park system itself.
- Yellowstone National Park, WY: As the first national park in the world, Yellowstone hosts ranger talks and evening programs throughout the week, plus its usual lineup of geothermal wonders and wildlife watching.
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA: A West Coast favorite for National Park Week programming, this park always has amazing ranger-led hikes and family activities across its many sites, from Muir Woods to Alcatraz.
More Ways to Fill the Week
Beyond the park-specific programming, an RV will place you closer to everything else National Park Week has to offer:
- Trails at every hour. With the RV as home base, a sunrise hike or a shaded afternoon walk is just a matter of stepping outside, no hotel checkout time to plan around.
- Stargazing. Many national parks have some of the darkest skies left in the country. Once the campfire dies down, the night sky takes over.
- Junior Ranger badges. Most parks run the program year-round, making it an easy tradition to build into any family trip beyond August 22.
The RV-2-50 Travel Passport
For families already road-tripping toward the parks this year, Go RVing's RV-2-50 celebration offers a built-in way to make the trip even more exciting. The RV-2-50 Travel Passport is a free physical passport for the 2026 travel season, designed exactly for a week like this one.
Here's how it works: pick up a passport and sticker sheet at one of the participating Passport Hubs around the country. As your family visits national parks, historic sites, and landmarks along the way, capture the moments and share them online with the official #RV250 hashtag.
There's also a reason to get competitive about it. Photos and videos submitted for the RV-2-50 celebration are entered for a chance to win official Go RVing swag, and one lucky family will take home the grand prize: $5,000 to cover camping fees for an entire year.
For families who want a route to follow rather than building one from scratch, Go RVing's RV-2-50 travel guides make it easy to plan a National Park Week trip around the anniversary theme, whether the trip is a long weekend, a few weeks, or the whole summer. The long weekend guide is a great fit for a short trip, while the six-week and six-month itineraries are built for families turning this into the trip of the summer.
#RV250 meets National Park Week
National Park Week is shaping up to be one of the biggest moments of the year to visit a national park, and an RV is simply the best way to be there for it. You can avoid late-summer price surges on flights and hotels, and start your mornings steps away from the trailhead ready for an entire week of ranger programs, Junior Ranger badges, and fee-free access. Grab a Travel Passport, plan the perfect route, and go make even more RV memories!
Ready to plan a trip? Find a Passport Hub along the route, or start with Find a Campground to map out your National Park Week RV adventure.
