Get Your Free National Parks "Owner's Guide" From The National Park Foundation

Here's a good deal: The National Park Foundation will give you a free "Owner's Guide" to the National Park System to help you enjoy the parks.

The colorful guide, which breaks down the park system into regions, is available on-line in a PDF format. It offers a great reference guide to the nation’s 391 national parks complete with maps, insider hints, and great photos of America’s National Parks. The guide is available for download from the foundation's website.

“We expect more and more people in the national parks this summer as Americans look for economically and environmentally friendly ways to spend their vacations,” said Jamie Patten, the foundation's senior vice president. “Every citizen is a part owner of the National Park System, and this guide has everything you need to get started planning your trip in one place, available for free and online. Getting outside and into the parks has never been easier.”

The guide includes practical content for everyone from the novice park visitor to avid outdoors people including:

* A complete directory detailing camping accessibility, fees and junior ranger programs

* Contact information for every single park, including website and phone numbers

* ‘What Not To Miss’ points for every single National Park in the country

* Full color photos and maps

Now, to be able to download the guide you do have to register with the NPF, but what's wrong with that? While doing so you can sign up for regular email newsletters from the foundation to help you stay atop what's going on in the National Park System.

For those who don't know, the National Park Foundation is an independent charitable organization chartered by Congress in 1967 to strengthen the connection between the American people and their national parks. As the official national non-profit partner of America’s National Parks, the Foundation raises private funds, makes strategic grants, creates innovative partnerships and increases public awareness about the need and opportunity for park philanthropy. In its 2008 fiscal year, the National Park Foundation distributed grants and program support of $27.3M.