National Park quarters winding down
Just 11 more to go after this year

If you haven’t started collecting the dynamic National Park quarter series, it’s not too late… And, if you’re already collecting, you’ve probably noticed your folder or album is getting full. Instead of the usual five coins, in 2021 just a single issue honoring Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site will be released.

National Park quarters have let collectors explore well-known parks like Grand Canyon, Glacier and Arcadia, and also some that are off the beaten path – known to locals and not many others. Here in Littleton’s Creative department, we research and write about the parks or historic sites as the quarters are released. Because of that, I’ve added Great Basin, NV, Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge, DE and Theodore Roosevelt Park, ND to my “must see” list.

56 Parks and Sites honored

The National Park quarter series began in 2010 and honors national parks, wildlife refuges and historic sites with annual coin designs. Each one is struck for about 10 weeks and never again. Every year since 2010, five different parks have been honored. Coins are issued in the order the parks or sites became federally protected areas. The series continues until all 50 states, 5 U.S. territories and the District of Columbia have been commemorated with a quarter.

Roadmap to adventure

What I like about this series is that it gives me a chance to dream about where I want to go, what park I’d like to see and what adventures wait for me. Do you like to be outdoors and travel? I do! And each park quarter is like a mini vacation waiting to happen.

Tactile educational tool

When my kids were in graded school in the early nineties, they learned the U.S. states and capitals. These seem to be a great educational tool, because they’re coins, you can touch them – they’re tactile (one of the learning styles). And, the National Park quarters seem to be a super way to tie something more than a capital to a particular state – perhaps an image of a place they may have visited with the family.

Where will you go?

With vacation time right around the corner, it’s time to pull out your quarter national park folders and/or albums, get on line and plot your course to your next adventure and fun. Who knows where your coins will lead you…. And with future coins due out for Massachusetts, Texas, Connecticut, Vermont and more, there are still other places to check out. What parks or historic sites are your favorites? Where do you want to go? Share your tips with me, maybe I’ll be adding more to my “must see” list!