Centennial events at Mount Rainier, Olympic national parks

Events celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service will hit full stride next week. Here is a look at some of what’s happening at Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks:

Thursday-Aug. 28: Free admission to all national parks.

Mount Rainier

Thursday: “National Parks 100: Celebrate Rainier!” will include programs, demonstration, volunteer opportunities and activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Events will be held at Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh and Sunrise.

The events celebrate the variety of work done by Mount Rainier employees to preserve and protect the park. Events at Longmire will celebrate the park’s heritage, Ohanapecosh will celebrate Junior Rangers, Paradise will celebrate the work done by park employees and partners, and Sunrise activities will celebrate the science done at the park.

There also will be volunteer stewardship projects at Longmire and Paradise. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Longmire Museum for a campground maintenance project or at Paradise outside the Jackson Visitor Center near the staircase for a trail brushing project. Equipment will be provided, but you may want to bring garden gloves.

Aug. 27: Centennial Star Party. Star gaze with volunteer astronomers and park rangers. Starts at 8:45 p.m. in the Paradise Inn, then moves outside the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at 9:45 p.m.

Info: nps.gov/mora.

Olympic

Tuesday-Thursday: Watch plein air artists as they work at various locations around the park, including Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Storm King Ranger Station and Lake Crescent Lodge.

Thursday: “Birthday party” events will be held at Storm King Ranger Station from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Activities include an art station on the Marymere Falls Trail, live music and watching a short video on the park.

Thursday: Storytellers Ingrid Nixon and Rebecca Horn will be at the NatureBridge Campus on Lake Crescent at 7 p.m. There will be time for visitors to share their own stories.

Aug. 27: Take part in the Centennial Olympics at the Kalaloch Ranger Station from 1-4 p.m.

Info: nps.gov/olym.

State Parks

Washington State Parks will offer free admission Thursday to its more than 100 parks in honor of the National Park Service’s centennial. Day-use visitors will not need a Discover Pass ($10 a day, $30 annually) to enter parks that day.

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Centennial events at Mount Rainier, Olympic national parks."