Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean has announced a $3 million grant to the National Park Foundation in support of its Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque initiative.

Aimed at inspiring people of all backgrounds and abilities to discover and share their own unique connections to America's national parks, the initiative is designed to raise awareness of the more than four hundred national parks in the United States, with a focus on lesser-known park sites.

"National parks are some of America's greatest treasures, and we want to help make it as easy as possible for people to find a memorable adventure. People might be surprised to discover how close many of these parks are," said Shawn Gorman, L.L.Bean's executive chairman and great-grandson of the company's founder. "The outdoors is part of our company's history, heritage and DNA. Like the National Park Foundation, ours is a legacy rooted in the outdoors that began more than a century ago and will continue long into the future. Both organizations have always been committed to getting people outside, so this partnership makes fantastic sense."

"L.L.Bean's investment helps power the movement to connect more people from all walks of life with the natural, cultural, and historical treasures found across the National Park system," said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. "Once people discover how accessible these places are, they develop a lifelong passion for exploring and protecting them."

(Photo credit: National Park Service)