National Park Week moved

National Park Week will not happen in April in 2026. The National Park Service set this year’s celebration for August 22 through August 30. (nps.gov) The Interior Department announced the shift on March 20 and tied it to two anniversaries: the National Park Service turns 110 on August 25, and the United States marks 250 years of independence in 2026. (nps.gov) The agency says parks nationwide will host guided tours, educational exhibits and family activities during that week. August 22 is National Junior Ranger Day, and entrance fees will be waived on August 25 at parks that normally charge them. (nps.gov) National Park Week usually lands around Earth Day in late April, which is why the 2026 calendar stands out. The official National Park Service event page now lists only the August 22-30 dates for this year. (nps.gov) For Oklahoma travelers, the shift moves a spring planning ritual into late summer. The National Park Service lists six sites in Oklahoma, including Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, and three national historic trails. (nps.gov) One of the closest high-profile options is Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service says preserves about 60,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ancient granite mountains, lakes and streams. The refuge is not a National Park Service unit, but it is a major federal public-land destination in Oklahoma. (fws.gov) Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur offers a different draw. The park describes itself as “An Oklahoma Oasis,” with springs, streams and lakes at the center of the visit. (nps.gov) Washita Battlefield near Cheyenne is one of the state’s most historically significant federal sites. The National Park Service says it preserves the place where Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led a dawn attack on a Cheyenne village led by Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. (nps.gov) Another nearby option just across the Kansas line is Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, where the National Park Service says visitors can see nearly 11,000 acres of prairie, a bison herd, limestone ranch buildings and a one-room school. (nps.gov) So the practical change for 2026 is simple: the usual late-April park week is gone, and the fee-free day to circle on the calendar is Monday, August 25. (nps.gov)