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Celebrate National Park Week from April 18 through 26 with fun and innovative digital experiences. While parked at home, journey to national parks through a variety of online activities including virtual tours, scavenger hunts, trivia contests and junior ranger programs.

For an example of virtual visiting, go to the Facebook page for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and view the video posted April 5 to watch a sunrise over the beach at the seashore. The video is 23 minutes plus. The only sound is the wind and the ocean. It has been viewed 49,000 times, shared 681 times and has garnered 275 comments.

To preview the celebration of National Park Week, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation will host a Twitter chat on April 16 at 1 p.m. Join the conversation and share favorite memories, tips and stories about national parks using the hashtags #FindYourPark and #NationalParkWeek. From April 16 through 26, a special limited-time park ranger emoji will appear with the use of these hashtags, in addition to #FindYourVirtualPark and #EncuentraTuParque on Twitter.

The Find Your Park Virtual Park page at NPS.gov provides resources that feature the sights and sounds of parks, games, videos, webcams and kid-friendly activities.

The National Park Foundation offers a series of virtual escapes well as suggestions for home-based park experiences.

In addition, each day of National Park Week will highlight a specific theme:

Saturday, April 18: Junior Ranger Day

Sunday, April 19: Volunteer Day

Monday, April 20: Military Monday

Tuesday, April 21: Transportation Tuesday

Wednesday, April 22: Earth Day

Thursday, April 23: Throwback Thursday

Friday, April 24: Friendship Friday

Saturday, April 25: Park Rx Day

Sunday, April 26: Bark Ranger Day

Here are some updates about the national seashore during this Stay Home time:

All indoor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore are closed in order to minimize potential spread of COVID-19. This includes all visitor centers, the administration offices at Fort Raleigh and bathrooms.

Outdoor spaces remain open for activities such as walking, hiking, biking and jogging while maintaining the six-foot separation.

Services are limited. Visitors are urged to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out and to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.

While at the beach, beachgoers should not gather in groups of more than 10. Seashore Rangers are patrolling the beaches. No lifeguards are on duty now, so be cautious.

The start of the 2020 camping season is postponed until further notice.

The start of the 2020 lighthouse climbing season is postponed until further notice.

READ ABOUT MORE COMMUNITY NEWS HERE.

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