You are here

Mark The NPS Centennial By Paddling 100 Miles In Florida's Parks

Share

We're starting to see a lot of "100" themed activities across the National Park System this year in honor of the National Park Service's Centennial, and Florida's offering invites you to paddle 100 miles in the state's 11 national parks.

The Centennial Paddle Challenge kicks off at 10 a.m. on January 23 at Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center. A brief ceremony and photo op will be followed by a ranger-guided paddle and lessons for those just getting into the sport.

Over the course of 2016, participants will log miles paddling canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards in at least three of the 11 parks, taking selfies at each location. When they reach a cumulative total of 100 miles they can present their log and selfies at any of park visitor center to earn a commemorative patch.

“Paddling is a great way to get exercise, be outdoors and find your park,” said the challenge’s coordinator, Yelitza Sepulveda. “Paddling is one of my passions, and this just offers an incentive to get out and visit new places during the centennial year of the National Park Service.”

“A few national parks in Florida immediately spring to mind, but we wanted to do something to highlight ALL of the national parks in the state,” said Biscayne Ranger Gary Bremen. “The state’s parks are so diverse: sandy beaches at Gulf Islands and Canaveral National Seashore, grassy waters at Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve and the Everglades, great opportunities for wildlife spotting at Big Cypress National Preserve, islands and reefs at Biscayne and Dry Tortugas, and amazing histories of exploration and colonization at DeSoto National Memorial, Matanzas National Monument, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and Fort Caroline National Memorial.”

Participants are encouraged to share selfies on social media using hashtag #FLNPS100PaddleChallenge. Learn more about the Florida National Parks Centennial Paddle Challenge at this website.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.