Inspired by the thrill of catching your first fish, the Junior Angler program encourages kids to enjoy the vast recreational opportunities of our national parks. Today, nearly 200 parks allow recreational fishing, presenting a great opportunity for the National Park Service to educate and engage the next generation of fishing enthusiasts. Since the 1960’s, the National Park Service Junior Ranger program has inspired children and their families to explore the great outdoors. As the most recent Junior Ranger program, Junior Angler encourages young people to earn their Junior Ranger patch and certificate by participating in a series of fishing activities in a national park and then sharing their experience with a park ranger.
Highlights
Casting a Line at New River Gorge
In 2020, rangers at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve were able to implement social distancing measures to keep program participants safe by separating family units on the riverbank while educational stations on nearby picnic tables allowed for mini workshops on angling, including tying lines, which fish to keep, and how to handle fish.
Participating Parks  Â
Click here for the descriptions of the 2021-2022 Junior Ranger Angler programs.
- Acadia National Park
- American Memorial Park
- Amistad National Recreation Area
- Big Thicket National Park & Preserve
- Biscayne National Park
- Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
- Canaveral National Seashore
- Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
- Chesapeake Bay Office
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Fire Island National Seashore
- Gateway National Recreation Area
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
- Isle Royale National Park
- Moores Creek National Battlefield
- Musconetcong Wild & Scenic River
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- National Mall & Memorial Parks
- Niobrara National Scenic River
- Oklahoma City National Memorial
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- River Raisin National Battlefield Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- St. Croix National Scenic River
- Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
- Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River
- War in the Pacific National Historical Park
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Thank You
This program was made possible by generous support from the Pisces Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Al Baldwin, and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
