Celebrate National Park Rx Day on the Blue Ridge Parkway

To combat the health implications of sedentary lifestyles, doctors are beginning to write prescriptions for outdoor activities, which led to the creation of National Park Rx Day. To celebrate, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program, Blue Ridge Parkway, and National Park Service are hosting a family-friendly event at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 23, at the Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville. The afternoon will included a guided hike with park rangers and local pediatricians to spread awareness about the enjoyment and health benefits provided by outdoor adventures.

The event is also celebrates the Kids in Parks’ TRACK Rx adventure program. Over the past seven years, Kids in Parks has created a network of trails in Western North Carolina (and beyond) that encourage kids and families to get outdoors and reconnected to nature to boost their health and the health of parks, and now the program has more than 75 doctors writing prescriptions for their patients to visit the program’s network of trails. Children that complete the adventure and fulfill their prescriptions through the program’s website become Trail TRACKer team members and receive free prizes. Visit kidsinparks.com to learn more about the adventures.