To kick off the new year and to celebrate the National Park Service’s Centennial, Grand Canyon National Park is participating in the 127th Rose Parade on Friday, January 1. The theme for the 2016 Rose Parade- “Find Your Adventure”- is a nod to “Find Your Park,” a public campaign to raise awareness and excitement for the NPS Centennial.
Grand Canyon will send five rangers, three horses, and seven mules to join the NPS equestrian unit, made up of NPS employees, volunteers, and junior rangers from ten parks and programs. Grand Canyon Superintendent Dave Uberuaga will also participate in the parade, riding in a stagecoach with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk.
Following the “Find Your Adventure” theme, the NPS equestrian unit represents the past, present, and future of the horse and mule tradition in national parks like Grand Canyon. Parade viewers will see the NPS color guard, field and patrol horses, and strings of pack mules.
Traveler footnote: On Christmas Day the Traveler will feature a story by noted national park historian Dr. Alfred Runte putting some whimsical, and historical, context to the Tournament of Roses Parade and the national parks.