National Park Service Joins Halloween Fun With Pumpkin Carving Templates

The National Park Service is getting into the Halloween mood by challenging park goers to use their fun pumpkin carving templates.

A pumpkin with a bear carved into it. / National Park Service

It is almost Halloween time and the National Park Service is getting into the mood by challenging park goers to use their amusing pumpkin carving templates.

"Orange you excited for autumn? Get ahead of the carve by creating a gourd-geous park pumpkin this fall season and give ‘em pumpkin to talk about," said the NPS in pun-filled post on their website. "Share your pumpkin park art on social media using #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque to add it to the growing parks pumpkin patch."

Carving a pumpkin can be a fun way to pass the time and get into holiday spirit, but figuring out what art to make can be a barrier to entry that leaves a lot of people uninterested. Using one of their interesting designs could be a great way to make a fun pumpkin and start an interesting dialogue about national parks with those that ask about them.

Included in the list of templates and ideas are the following:

The Batty One

This is straightforward bat design is a classic Halloween pumpkin idea, but also holds some serious background in national parks. Carlsbad Cavern is a very popular park that is known for their nightly shows that feature thousands of bats on display.

The Close Encounter

The most humorous template shared, this shows what happens when you get too close to the wildlife. A bison appears to have bucked away a visitor that wasn't follow safety rules. Wildlife in the parks are mostly safe, but some research mixed common sense can go a long way to making it even safer.

The Autumn Leaves

Another Halloween staple, welcome in the Fall season with these falling leaves. Taking a trip to the closest park can offer stunning views of the leaves changing colors.

The Full Moon

Speaking of dangerous wildlife, wolves are a bit more scary on paper than they are in reality. A trip to the Yellowstone National Park can be a great way to safely observe these classic animals.

The Camper

While some may enjoy the thrill of sleeping under the stars when camping, others prefer the comfort of a camper to provide a roof over their heads. If that's you, you'll find this design very appealing,

The Fat Bear

This one is about as self-explanatory as it gets. Show off a cute, robust bear with this winner of a template. Bears have a bad reputation and many national parks thrive as a place to safely see them in the wild.

The Web Designer

Lastly, this is another Halloween-centric idea that shows off some skill. Spiders are scary for many, but their webs can be a thing of beauty.