Peter Fimrite

Sfchronicle.us

March 24, 2010

The tails side of a new batch of quarters scheduled for release this year will sport the image of towering El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park.

The new design is one of five that will be unveiled by the U.S. Mint today in a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., touting the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which will honor 56 national parks between now and 2021.

The Yosemite coin, which will be released into circulation in July, will be the third coin in the series following Hot Springs National Park, in Arkansas, and Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming.

The program, “allows Americans an opportunity to carry a small piece of American heritage in their pockets,” said Mint Director Ed Moy. “Yosemite National Park and the other four sites represent a selection of America’s finest public lands, which all Americans should explore for themselves.”

The drawing on the back of the quarter will show the spectacular 3,000-foot face of El Capitan, the tallest granite cliff and one of the most popular rock climbing spots in the world. The inscription will read Yosemite, California, 2010, E Pluribus Unum.

The 1,200-square-mile park, set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, was chosen by a panel of experts as California’s representative. Every state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, will be represented on a coin over the next 11 years, Moy said.

Doi.gov

March 23, 2010

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that all 392 national parks will have free admission during National Park Week, April 17 to 25. Parks will also offer additional family friendly activities and special offers on tours, lodging, food, and souvenirs. A listing of parks and promotions is available at www.nps.gov/npweek.

“We are rolling out the red carpet and inviting everyone to visit a national park and help celebrate National Park Week,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “Parks are fun and affordable destinations and great places to engage in healthy, outdoor activities, whether for a few hours or a few days.”

National Park Week, a program of the National Park Service, is an opportunity to engage families and communities in America’s Great Outdoors, reconnecting them with nature and creating close to home opportunities for people to get outside, be active, and have fun.

“National parks preserve our heritage, promote recreational experiences, and provide places of quiet refuge,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis. “Most people live within a short drive of a national park so I encourage everyone to spend some time enjoying America’s Great Outdoors during National Park Week.”

There will be hundreds of family friendly events on Saturday, April 24, for National Junior Ranger Day. Each child participating in Junior Ranger activities will receive a certificate, patch, or pin.

Other National Park Week highlights include the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 75th anniversary of the nation’s most visited national park – the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Normally, 146 of 392 national parks charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The other 246 do not charge for admission. The fee free waiver for National Park Week does not include other fees collected in advance or by contractors—such as fees charged for camping, reservations and use of concessions.