The National Park Service Celebrates 100 Years

The National Park Service (NPS) hosted a large celebration on the National Mall Thursday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the agency.

The “birthday party” took place just south of the Washington Monument and was part of a month-long nationwide celebration, with 412 parks across the country hosting events to commemorate the anniversary.

At the D.C. event, more than 1,000 participants gathered at 9 a.m. to assemble a “living National Park Service emblem.”

Happy 100th birthday, National Park Service!! #nps100 #Nps100mall pic.twitter.com/rCzAPuO2Ip

— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) August 25, 2016

Despite climbing temperatures, volunteers with brown, green and white umbrellas organized on the lawn and assumed their positions.

The stunt was completed just before 11 a.m. and the world’s largest National Park Service arrowhead was created.

Cameras were on hand to document the achievement from above.

Happy 100th birthday, @NatlParkService! Join us in celebrating & go #FindYourPark! https://t.co/zkOSWwRvUQ #NPS100https://t.co/aOkn7YhLdw

— Natl Park Foundation (@GoParks) August 25, 2016

Less than 24 hours ago, on Aug. 24, President Obama declared the newest national park, the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in northern Maine.

The new park was made possible through a gift of 87,500 acres by Roxanne Quimby and her family and is so new it doesn’t have an official visitors center yet.

The NPS invites park goers to join the park’s centennial celebration by posting to social media using the hashtags #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque. The agency has put together a comprehensive list of “99 Ways to Find Your Park” on its website. 

And remember: In honor of #NPS100, all #NationalParks will be fee-free on Aug. 25-28! So go #FindYourPark! pic.twitter.com/q1W4FVu0bU

— Natl Park Foundation (@GoParks) August 23, 2016

The National Park Service is also granting free admission to all 413 national parks from Aug. 25 through Aug. 28.

The agency was created in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. He declared that the National Park Service would be “responsible for preserving our nation’s inheritance.”

Today, the National Park Service looks after all 413 unique national park units across the country.