This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and we want you to help us celebrate and document these gems. Share your story of a national park visit or tell us what the parks mean to you, and you may see your story published in Travel this summer.

The centennial comes after a record-breaking year for national parks. The 410 Park Service units — including national parks as well as monuments, historic sites, lakeshores and other kinds of designations — hosted 307.2 million people in 2015. That number was the highest ever, the Park Service reported. This year, the attention and events surrounding the anniversary may draw even more visitors to these remarkably varied places.

When the Park Service was established — by the "Organic Act" of 1916, signed by President Woodrow Wilson — the United States already boasted 35 national parks. Yellowstone was the first, established in 1872. Now there are 59, including that beauty on Minnesota's northern border, Voyageurs.

Park Service sites include the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, Fort Sumter National Monument in South Carolina and so many more. Taken together, they are a rich mosaic of America.

They are also, simply, places set aside for Americans to explore, learn and have fun.

We'd love to hear your tale of a trip to a national park.

We will run such stories, from readers and Star Tribune staffers, throughout the spring and summer, as we explore the parks and relish the experiences they provide.

To submit your story for consideration, send it to travel@startribune.com. Include your name, city and phone number. Please also include a related photo or two. Shoot for 600 to 700 words. We look forward to reading — and sharing.

Send your questions or tips to Travel Editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com, and follow her on Twitter: @kerriwestenberg.