National Park Foundation Shares Five Great Ways to Enjoy Labor Day Weekend in America's National Parks

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Aug 30, 2013, 10:22 ET

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"The Places Nobody Knows"

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Labor Day weekend, the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, revealed some of the best ways to enjoy the holiday in America's national parks.

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Below are five great activities and events taking place over the long weekend in our national parks. Find even more suggestions at the National Park Foundation's website.

ALABAMA - Experience a day in the life of prehistoric people at Russell Cave National Monument.

A park guide will give you a tour of the cave shelter where people made their homes for many years. Then enjoy a demonstration of tools and weapons that were used to hunt animals such as deer, peccary, and bear.

ARIZONA - Cheer on fellow national park lovers in a beautiful setting at the 44th Saguaro National Park Labor Day Run. The rolling 8-mile and 5k courses loop through a cactus forest in the foothills of the scenic Rincon Mountains at Saguaro National Park East.

CALIFORNIA - Gather all your sand castle supplies and your most creative architects, and head to the 32nd Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at Drakes Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore!

FLORIDA - Check out a historic weapons demonstration at Castillo De San Marcos National Monument, an American Latino Heritage Fund site. Rangers and volunteers will demonstrate the weapons and relate the experiences of the colonial Spanish soldier of 1740s St. Augustine. Re-enactors will be putting on an amazing show to demonstrate the weapons of the Colonial Era.

HAWAI'I - Join a park naturalist on a 2-hour guided hike along the Pipiwai Trail in Haleakalā National Park. The hike passes though the bamboo forest and includes views of Makahiku Falls and Waimoku Falls.

LOUISIANA - Experience the story of the Battle of New Orleans on the very grounds where American troops defeated the British army in 1815 at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

NEW MEXICO - Sunset strolls are a great way to end your day! Enjoy a leisurely one-hour ranger-guided walk through sand dunes at White Sands National Monument and learn about the geology, plants, and animals of this unique area. These walks along the dunes are offered daily, one hour before sunset.

VIRGINIA - Listen to "Privates by Choice" perform original musical scores highlighting the labors of our nation during the Civil War at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The group will perform a unique selection of newly composed acoustic/folk songs during this free concert at the Wilderness Road Campground Amphitheater.

For more national park inspiration visit www.nationalparks.org/theplacesnobodyknows and download a free copy of National Park Foundation's newly released "The Places Nobody Knows," the third special edition in NPF's Owner's Guide series. For more information about events happening in America's national parks, visit the National Park Service's calendar.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, raises private funds that directly aid, support and enrich America's more than 400 national parks and their programs. Chartered by Congress as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation plays a critical role in conservation and preservation efforts, establishing national parks as powerful learning environments, and giving all audiences an equal and abundant opportunity to experience, enjoy and support America's treasured places. www.nationalparks.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Alanna Sobel, National Park Foundation, 202.354.6486, [email protected]

SOURCE National Park Foundation