Backpackers at Sand Point at Olympic National Park. Photo: Bryan Bell

We see a lot of great photos throughout the week. So, we thought it was high time we started rounding up some of our faves each week and highlighting one on Friday to inspire weekend adventures. We call it the Osprey Round Up.

We are big advocates of visiting National Parks all the time, but even more so when it’s free. National Parks Week is April 21 to April 29 and admission to all parks is free, so take this opportunity to get outside.

Happy Friday!

Events, Outdoor Activities, travel National Parks, National Parks Week, Olympic National Park

Grand Prismatic Spring Photograph by David Mencin, submitted to National Geographic My Shot

One hundred and forty years ago, America established it’s first National Park: Yellowstone. Just the name conjures up images of geysers, grizzlies, bison and wild landscape. So, send some love to Yellowstone today and take action to protect this incredible park for many more years to come.

See more beautiful images from Yellowstone in National Geographic’s photo gallery.

Conservation, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities National Parks, wildlife, Yellowstone National Park

We’re kicking it old school for Travel Tuesday today, bringing you a little wanderlust by way of vintage National Park postcards. We wouldn’t mind getting a few of these in our mailbox.

Enjoy!

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travel National Parks, postcards, travel tuesday, vintage

Unless you’ve been living in a deep, dark cave… You may have noticed that there is a lot of cool stuff going on out there. So, we thought it was high-time we started rounding up some of our faves each Friday. Every month, we’ll be choosing a theme that fits with the Osprey lifestyle. This month we’re devoting it to all things spring: celebrating sunshine, getting out on late afternoon trail runs and reminding ourselves that summer is just around the corner. Welcome to the Osprey Friday Round-Up!

Spring is the perfect time to not only get yourself outdoors, but encourage others to do the same. We like to call it the buddy system.

So today we’re featuring a couple of ways that you can help your friends (and even strangers) get outside!

Get Someone Climbing

Ready to do a good deed in support of adventure? Take part in the Chicks Ambassador Poster Plaster and encourage women to start rock climbing! They’re looking for help promoting their upcoming 2011 Women’s Rock Climbing Clinics. All it takes is slapping up some posters all over town at your favorite coffee shops, yoga studios, climbing gyms and beyond — pretty much anywhere you think people might be interested in learning about the clinics. For every poster that you put up, photograph and share, you’ll get one entry into the giveaway for an Osprey Hornet 24 daypack, a pair of Julbo Guide Glasses, and a Princeton Tec Fuel headlamp.

Once it is up, take a picture of your poster plaster, then post that photo on your Facebook wall, tell us where you plastered it, and tag us at Chicks Climbing. That photo – with the Chicks Climbing Facebook tag – will be your entry into the drawing for the pack, glasses, and headlamp!

Each poster you plaster, photograph, and share will get you one entry into the giveaway – so you can earn up to four total entries!

The contest will run through May 31, so there is plenty of time to get your posters strategically placed. Please allow for up to three weeks for your posters to arrive (i.e. sign up to get yours now) as we work in batches for shipping!

Get on the ambassador train now!

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Bike, Friday Round-up, Outdoor Activities, adventure 88Bikes, Chicks Climbing, National Parks

Denali National Park

Did you know that there are 394 National Parks?

Now is your chance to explore them. Between now and April 24th, it’s National Parks Week and that means that you get free admission to any of your favorite National Parks all the way through Sunday.

Beyond free admission, many parks are hosting special events, like a birthday party for John Muir at the Muir Woods National Monument in California.

To encourage you to get out an explore over the next few days, we’ve rounded up photos of some of our favorite National Parks. Which one will you visit?

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Outdoor Activities, adventure, travel National Park Week, National Parks

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tourists. Cameras and RVs in tow. Long lines at info center. Traffic jams at the entrance. Sound like a typical summertime National Park visit? Well, not in winter!

Adventure Journal has a great round-up of the Top 10 National Parks in Winter; the spots you can hit up for amazing winter adventures, take incredible pictures, and not see a soul.

Their picks:

1. Mount Rainier, Washington
2. Acadia, Maine
3. Glacier, Montana
4. Sequoia/Kings Canyon, California
5. Crater Lake, Oregon
6. Yellowstone, Montana/Wyoming
7. Grand Canyon, Arizona
8. Grand Teton, Wyoming
9. Rocky Mountain, Colorado
10. Yosemite, California

Where’s you favorite winter spot?

Osprey Culture, adventure, travel National Parks, travel, winter