Celebrating outdoor enthusiasts is the core to our company values at Backwoods Promotions. During the month of August the Great American Outdoors Act was passed, and we wanted to take a deeper look into what the passage of this means for national parks. In essence the act will allow parks and other federal lands to repair important infrastructure and facilities to enrich the visitor experience, protect resources, and enable increased access for all visitors. Let's take a deeper look at a few key details!

On August 4th, the president signed the Act and the secretary of the interior announced free entrance to national parks/public lands for August 5th! This is a great way for everyone nationwide to have an opportunity to enjoy national lands without the burden of admission fees. Did you know that moving forward every year on August 4th all national parks will offer free admission? One of the missions of this act is to open up the parks to those who may have obstacles to visiting them—and lessening the burden of ticket prices is one of them. 

Upgrading the infrastructure of the parks is one of the highest costs for the parks to stay open—these areas host more than 325 million visitors a year! The network of roads, trails, restrooms, water treatment systems, and visitor facilities are aging, and many are exceeding the capacity they were designed to support. This fund will provide much needed repair for projects that address many upgrades for the parks! These include campgrounds, picnic areas, roads, trails and other important visitor resources. With so many families camping in 2020 we are excited to see many of these changes across the nation.

This act does so much more than simply repairing the roads lead to them; it also creates new opportunities for investing in causes that matter to you. While you can plan your visit to the parks here you can also research wildlife conservation and protection programs that matter most to our future. Anyone can join others in planting trees, protecting the environment, preserving fish and wildlife, and expanding greenspaces across every state right from their own home. This ensures that citizens can control where funding goes according to what matters most to them.

Due to our enthusiasts first®, background at Backwoods Promotions, we want to celebrate with all of our event staff the bright future that this act holds for all of our national parks. Some of the destinations to these beautiful lands can be far away, and some of these adventures are in your own backyard. Whether you are going to see the sprawling canyons, deep blue waters, immense mountain landscapes, or endless rolling prairies we encourage everyone to use our hashtag #EnthusiastsFirst on Instagram or Facebook to share your adventures with us!

While you’re here take a look at our Top 10 Favorite Parks to visit in the United States!

1.  Assateague Island National Park - Located in Berlin, MD visitors can watch wild horses roam the seashore!
2. Yosemite National Park - One of America’s most popular national parks, it boasts some of the best hiking trails in the world!
3. Arches National Park - In Moab experience the unique rock formations and sunset views that only can be seen here. This is a must for rock climbers!
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park - We suggest visiting this park in Gatlinburg, TN during the fall to really enjoy the forest’s beautiful leaf change.
5. Yellowstone National Park - You’ve heard of Old Faithful but go and see it for yourself, we celebrate Yellowstone as the first national park of the United States.
6. Big Bend National Park - Located in Texas, find your perfect solitude here with over 150 miles of hiking trails.
7. Natchez Trace National Park - A beautiful scenic trail starting in Mississippi and ending in Tennessee--enjoy river views and national monuments through the heart of the South.
8. Sequoia National Park - Nestled in Three Rivers, CA enjoy the magnificent trees and hiking trails. Many of the giant trees are hundreds of years old!
9. Biscayne National Park - Located south of Miami in Homestead, FL explore the crystal blue waters and marine life of the area.
10.  Capitol Reef National Park - Vast landscapes of “slickrock” country in Utah make for the perfect weekend getaway!

Want to explore even more National Parks? Visit their website and plan your next adventure!