A night view of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: Glynn Wilson
By Glynn Wilson –
The National Park Service will host special events and provide free entrance to all national parks this year in honor of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 20.
The Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an official day of service in remembrance of the man whose commitment to community bridged barriers, according to the Park Service, so this year, many parks will host service projects on this day as well.
“National parks throughout the country provide inspiration to reflect on issues that resonated with Dr. King, including freedom, human rights, and social justice,” National Park Service Acting Director David Vela said in a press release announcing the events and free admission.
“We remember his life and legacy through programs and outreach that elevate his dream of inclusiveness for all,” he added.
Civil Rights activists cross the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma on the 47th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2012: Glynn Wilson
A journey through national parks includes sites with direct links to the civil rights icon. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site includes the places where he was born, lived, worked and worshipped, including the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, which traces the path where King and other advocates marched for voting rights.
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a plaque marks the spot where Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Lincoln Memorial: Glynn Wilson
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial contains a larger-than-life carving of his likeness and inspirational quotes.
The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, a recent addition to the National Park Service, includes the headquarters and residence where Dr. King and his associates strategized a nonviolent campaign against Birmingham’s segregation laws and practices in 1963.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Volunteers-in-Parks Program. People who want to help may join the 300,000 people who volunteer annually in support of national parks and give back to others in some of the most visually captivating, historically rich and ecologically vital locations throughout the country.
On January 20, all National Park Service admission fees will be waived. It is the first of five entrance fee free days in 2020. Normally, 110 national parks charge admission fees ranging from $3 to $35. The other 309 national parks do not charge entrance fees.
More Photos
The sign let’s you know you have arrived at the world’s first national park: Glynn Wilson
A large white-tailed deer buck in the Greenbelt National Park Sweetgum field in Autumn: Glynn Wilson
A view of the mountains from the Appalachian Trail by the Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park: Glynn Wilson
A newborn fawn hiding in the grass in the Big Meadows Campground at Shenandoah National Park: Glynn Wilson
A black bear along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: Glynn Wilson
A black bear crossing Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Forest and Park: Glynn Wilson
(Editor’s Note Disclaimer: Editor Glynn Wilson sometimes volunteers with the National Park Service and state parks as a VIP campground host and photographer and helps clear trails and remove invasive species.)
