Twenty-one national parks will benefit from grants to test new ideas and scalable technologies that can improve the care of parks and visitor experiences
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation is excited to launch dedicated funding for parks and park partners to collaborate on innovative projects that will strengthen parks, expand what is possible, and ensure these extraordinary places endure for generations. The inaugural cohort, announced today, includes 18 grants totaling more than $10 million awarded to support 21 national parks.
National parks are rooted in natural, historic, and cultural wonders, but they originated as a novel idea, and their future depends on continued innovation. Often called "America's best idea," the national park concept set the blueprint for protecting extraordinary places and sharing them with the world.
With the support of generous donors and partners, NPF is helping parks carry that spirit forward by creating more room to innovate, collaborate, and experiment. These grants provide funding directly to those who know parks best, empowering them to test new approaches, implement scalable technologies, and share what they learn so parks are stronger, and visitors can have better experiences.
NPF has received more than 200 proposals for innovation funding so far. Among those submissions, 18 projects were identified for immediate funding, with an initial focus on real-time information and traffic management, connectivity, data-informed decision-making, and more. These first projects include the following:
- Friends of Acadia and Schoodic Institute will work with Acadia National Park to deploy sensors, predictive analytics, and communication tools that give visitors and park managers real-time information about congestion and wait times along key corridors.
- Grand Canyon Conservancy will expand the ways that visitors can engage with Grand Canyon National Park by increasing connectivity and introducing digitally integrated interpretation of the park, enabling visitors to learn more and go deeper into the story of the iconic landscape.
- Friends of Virgin Islands National Park will install Starlink satellite internet at seven land sites and five marine sites in the remote Virgin Islands National Park to offer connectivity for visitors and to improve emergency communications.
- Big Cypress National Preserve, Minute Man National Historical Park, the National Mall and Memorial Parks, and Point Reyes National Seashore – all of which have porous borders without dedicated entry gates – will work with Pennsylvania State University to analyze available cell phone data to help park managers make more informed decisions about operations, staffing, resource protection, and visitor services.
- Channel Islands National Park Foundation will install a waste incineration system to process human waste at the Scorpion site at Channel Islands National Park, which will be more cost effective and safer for the fragile island ecosystems than the existing practice of hauling waste off the island.
Funding for the inaugural cohort came from NPF's generous donors and partners, including Lilly Endowment Inc. View the full list of projects here.
"Innovation has always been part of the story of our national parks, but turning new ideas into action can be difficult. That's where philanthropy can help," said NPF President and CEO Jeff Reinbold. "The National Park Foundation is excited to empower parks and park partners to test new approaches, learn what works, and scale solutions that will help our national parks thrive for generations to come."
NPF first invested $2 million in pilot projects led by the National Park Service and Preservation Maryland to advance technologies and experiment with novel equipment across multiple park sites in support of emergency response, asset management, and more efficient park operations. Interest in the pilot proved the need and potential impact of continued, dedicated investment in innovative technologies and creative solutions.
With growing support from NPF's donors and partners, including Robert and Kitty Brunswick, Mr. Cody J Smith, The Ball Foundation, and Arconic Foundation, NPF will award additional grants to parks and park partners in the coming months to support innovation in other focus areas, including natural resource management and interpretation.
NPF will also facilitate learning groups that bring together grant recipients to share information, ideas, and lessons learned to inform and inspire other parks.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at nationalparks.org and follow NPF on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Editor's Note: If you are interested in learning more about a project or covering this announcement, please contact media@nationalparks.org.
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SOURCE National Park Foundation
