Kids to Parks

Our Public Lands: Where Memories Are Made

Our national parks and public lands offer endless opportunities for kids to explore, learn, and play. Connecting kids to the outdoors, whether it’s playing in the local park down the street or hiking and camping in a national park, can inspire a lifelong connection to conservation, while reaping all of the health benefits that go along with an active lifestyle.

Last month, I worked to pass a bipartisan resolution designating May 20, 2017 as Kids to Parks Day. This year’s seventh annual Kids to Parks Day kicks off a summer-long series of events at local, state, and national parks.

Our public lands are where memories are made, and I encourage New Mexico families to take advantage of the Kids to Parks events taking place across the state during the week of May 15^th – 21^st. Here are resources for Kids to Parks Day and visiting our treasured public lands in New Mexico:

Join the conversation online using the hashtags: #KidsToParks & #FindYourPark

National Park Trust: List of New Mexico Kids To Parks Day Events

Our newest National Monuments in New Mexico:

Rio Grande Del Norte in the Taos Area
Organ Mountains Desert Peaks in the Las Cruces Area

National Park Service: National Parks In New Mexico

New Mexico State Parks: Find A Park

Every Kid in a Park Pass: Fourth graders get free access to hundreds of parks, lands, and waters for an entire year

National Park Service: Junior Ranger Programs

Bandelier National Monument, NM
Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, NM
El Malpais National Monument, NM
El Morro National Monument, NM
Fort Union National Monument, NM
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, NM
Manhattan Project National Historical Park, NM,WA,TN
Santa Fe National Historic Trail, CO,KS,MO,NM,OK
White Sands National Monument, NM

Teaching with Historic Places, New Mexico Lesson Plans:

Additional Resources:

Wilderness Explorers Booklet

Discover Ways for the Family to Enjoy the Parks

NPF Kids Activity Map

As Junior Rangers, kids can help protect our national parks

Five ways to celebrate Kids to Parks Day 2017

Park Activities and Hiking Games Bordom Busters

Park Adventure Booklet

30 Things to Find at the Park

Color Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Latest

Heinrich Advances Bipartisan Every Kid Outdoors Act
Posted on 10/02/18
Today, in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources markup, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) advanced legislation he introduced with U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to provide America's fourth graders and their families free entrance to America's public lands, waters, and historic sites, including national parks -- more than 2,000 sites in all. Read More
Our Next National Park Could Be in New Mexico
Posted on 07/03/18
I'm standing in the heart of White Sands National Monument, in southern New Mexico, the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Read More
Southern N.M.'s Outdoor Economy
Posted on 05/17/18
Southern New Mexico has become a national model for how much public lands and specially designated areas can boost local economies. For the last century, national treasures like the Gila Wilderness, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands have attracted visitors to the region. And over the last four years, our state's newest national monument, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, transformed iconic landscapes that locals had long recognized for their beauty and history into a beacon for outdoor enthusiasts around the world. …
Read More
Editorial: NM’s White Sands worthy of national park status
Posted on 05/11/18
President Herbert Hoover established it as a national monument in 1933 and now U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has introduced legislation to elevate White Sands to a national park. That would certainly be good for New Mexico, resulting in increased visitation and enhanced recognition for the breathtaking site. Elected officials and community leaders have been chasing park status for years. Read More
Heinrich Introduces White Sands National Park Establishment Act
Posted on 05/08/18
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced on Monday the White Sands National Park Establishment Act, a bill to designate White Sands National Monument as New Mexico's newest national park. Read More
White Sands National Park
Posted on 05/05/18
Sen. Martin Heinrich unveils White Sands National Park Establishment Act
Posted on 05/05/18
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich visited White Sands National Monument Friday to meet with community leaders and discuss legislation he plans to introduce to Congress that will designate the monument as a national park. Read More
Heinrich Unveils White Sands National Park Establishment Act With Community Leaders In Southern N.M.
Posted on 05/04/18
Bill seeks park status for New Mexico’s stunning white dunes
Posted on 05/04/18
A vast expanse of shifting white sand dunes in southern New Mexico would be elevated from a national monument to a national park under legislation proposed Friday by one of the state's senators. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, made the announcement while visiting the state as part of a multiday tour that also included looking at the potential for more outdoor recreation elsewhere as New Mexico and other western states promote their wide open spaces in hopes of attracting more tourists and more money. Read More
Heinrich Showcases Economic Force Of Outdoor Recreation Industry, Backs Establishment Of N.M. Office Of Outdoor Recreation
Posted on 05/04/18
Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivered the keynote address at the New Mexico Outdoor Economics Conference in Las Cruces, highlighting the inextricable link between conservation and growing the Western economy. The two-day conference was the first event of its kind in New Mexico and featured business, elected, and outdoor industry leaders from across the West. Read More