FORT PAYNE– National Park Week is underway across the country, with Northeast Alabama’s own Little River Canyon National Preserve taking part in the celebration.

The observance runs from Aug. 22 through Aug. 30. Locally, preserve officials announced ranger programs throughout the week and plans to conclude Sunday with National Junior Ranger Day.

This year’s theme, “Celebrate America’s Story,” connects the week with the 250th anniversary of American independence. In addition, Tuesday marks the 110th birthday of the National Park Service.

To mark the anniversary, entrance fees will be waived Tuesday for U.S. citizens and residents at National Park Service sites that normally charge admission. At Little River Canyon, the fee-free day applies to Canyon Mouth Park, the preserve’s only fee area.

How National Park Week Began

National Park Week began in 1991, when the Park Service celebrated its 75th anniversary. Congress designated the week beginning Aug. 25, and President George H.W. Bush issued the first National Park Week proclamation.

At the time, Bush described national parks as scenic preserves and places holding the nation’s cultural and historical treasures. He also invited Americans and international visitors to join anniversary events.

Later, the annual observance moved to April to coincide with Earth Day and its focus on environmental stewardship. However, the Park Service returned the celebration to August in 2026. The move better aligned the observance with summer visitation, staffing, the agency’s birthday, and a fee-free day.

The 2026 celebration also carries a broader historical purpose. Under the national theme, parks are highlighting the landscapes, people, events, and cultural resources that help tell the American story.

A Different Theme for Each Day

Each day of the 2026 celebration has a national theme. The schedule began with Kickoff Saturday, followed by Safety Sunday and America in Motion Monday.

Tuesday is the National Park Service’s 110th Birthday and Fee-Free Day. Meanwhile, Wednesday is Watch Wildlife Wednesday, and Thursday is Thankful Thursday.

Friday will be Freedom Friday, followed by Staff Saturday. Finally, National Junior Ranger Day will close the week Sunday, inviting visitors of all ages to “explore, learn, and protect.”

The National Park Service at 110

The national park idea predates the agency that now oversees the system. Congress established Yellowstone National Park in 1872, creating what is widely recognized as the world’s first national park.

Before 1916, national parks and monuments lacked one unified federal management agency. Therefore, Congress passed the National Park Service Organic Act, which President Woodrow Wilson signed on Aug. 25, 1916.

The law created a bureau within the Department of the Interior. It also gave the new agency a dual responsibility: conserve national park resources while providing for their public enjoyment.

Importantly, the law directed that those resources be left “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” That principle remains central to the Park Service mission.

Today, the National Park Service manages 433 units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Together, those places protect natural landscapes, battlefields, monuments, historic sites, parkways, seashores, and other nationally significant resources.

Little River Canyon’s Preservation Story

For Northeast Alabama, the national celebration has a particularly close connection. Little River Canyon links the Park Service mission with a landscape extending through DeKalb and Cherokee counties.

Little River is unusual because it forms and flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain. Over time, the river carved one of the deepest and most extensive canyon systems in the Southeast.

Some canyon walls rise more than 600 feet above the river. In addition, the preserve protects more than 15,000 acres of forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims, sandstone cliffs, pools, and boulder fields.

The Park Service identifies Little River Canyon as Alabama’s deepest canyon and Grace’s High Falls as the state’s tallest waterfall. Moreover, the river’s high water quality supports rare species and diverse aquatic life.

The preserve lists 147 bird species, 40 fish species, 35 mammal species, 28 reptile species, and 28 amphibian species. That diversity has also supported public science programs, including the annual BioBlitz previously covered by WEIS.

The area’s formal preservation history spans decades. In 1969, Alabama designated the Little River south of the Alabama Highway 35 bridge as a State Wild and Scenic River.

Then, in 1991, the state designated Little River as Outstanding National Resource Water. Congress established the national preserve through Public Law 102-427 on Oct. 21, 1992.

The law directed the Park Service to protect the area’s natural, scenic, recreational, and cultural resources while allowing public enjoyment. It also extended federal protections against water projects that could harm the river’s defining qualities.

Earlier conservation work helped prepare the way. In 1934, Alabama established DeSoto State Park along Little River in DeKalb County.

Five years later, the canyon became part of the state park. By 1954, civic leaders from DeKalb and Cherokee counties gathered at Eberhart Point for a canyon dedication ceremony.

The preserve also carries stories beyond its natural landscape. According to the Park Service, the area’s history includes Streight’s Raid and John Wisdom’s warning ride from Gadsden to Rome. It also includes Civil War troop movements through the Little River and Gaylesville area.

Taking Part Close to Home

During National Park Week, Little River Canyon officials said visitors can take part in ranger programs and the Sunday Junior Ranger celebration. However, the park’s announcement did not include a complete schedule of program times and locations.

Therefore, visitors should check the preserve’s official Facebook page or contact the park at 256-845-9605 before making plans.

The 11-mile Little River Canyon Rim Parkway offers eight overlooks and views of waterfalls, rock walls, forests, and the river below. Elsewhere, the preserve’s scenic drive, overlooks, waterfalls, trails, and backcountry areas are open from sunrise to sunset without an entrance fee.

Canyon Mouth Park, located off Alabama Highway 273 near Cedar Bluff, normally charges a $15 day-use fee per vehicle. The area includes picnic facilities, a playground, river access, and an easy one-mile trail.

On Tuesday, that entrance fee will be waived for eligible U.S. citizens and residents in recognition of the Park Service birthday. Other charges, including reservation or special-use fees, may still apply where required.

Finally, visitors are encouraged to review current park alerts and conditions, bring water, and prepare for summer heat. The Park Service also reminds guests that river conditions can change rapidly after rainfall elsewhere in the watershed.