Make S’Mores for a Memorial Day National Park Campout
Stock up on graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate for an online campout. (Bonus: no mosquitos!)
This weekend, Everglades and Biscayne National Parks and Big Cypress National Preserve will co-host the National Park Service's Memorial Day Weekend Virtual Campout, a three-day social media event visitors can enjoy from the comfort of their own homes and backyards. Twenty National Park Service units across the American South and Caribbean have teamed up for the effort, which kicks off on Facebook May 23 at 3pm.
The weekend series features videos, activities and livestreams suitable for all ages covering topics from history to nature and recreation. Listen to songs and stories of the national parks with Florida’s Biscayne National Park, attend a virtual astronomy program hosted by Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana, learn to set up a Civil War tent at Georgia’s Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park or join in any of the other activities taking place throughout the weekend.
South Florida NPS sites will present the following events on May 24:
Noon: Big Cypress National Preserve: Leave No Trace and Hammock Camping – Light-hearted videos comparing hanging a hammock in Big Cypress versus your home, all while practicing good Leave No Trace principals. Put on your sense of humor and join us!
7pm: Biscayne National Park: Songs and Stories of Our National Parks – Ranger Gary Bremen and singer/songwriter Grant Livingston will lead a journey through some of America's most iconic places.
8:30pm: Everglades National Park: Into The Wild: An Everglades National Park Adventure – Join the excitement as the Roberts’ family experiences their first camping trip ever in this reality-TV style show that originally aired on local PBS station WPBT.
On May 25 at 8:30pm, Biscayne will premiere its Memorial Day Inspiration video. While currently under modified operations, the National Park Service is using a phased approach to increase onsite access, in accordance with federal and public health guidance.
For a full schedule of activities for the NPS Memorial Day Weekend Virtual Campout, visit www.nps.gov/subjects/camping or the Virtual Campout Facebook Event. Follow Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and Big Cypress National Preserve on social media for specific event details.
