Visit National Parks Free This Weekend

by John Soares on September 25, 2008

You can visit National Parks for free this weekend, September 27 and 28. Here’s the press release from the National Park Service:

All National Park Service sites will offer free visitor admission this weekend. There will be no entrance fees on September 27 to celebrate National Public Lands Day and on September 28 to honor the country’s newest citizens.

“The fee free weekend provides a great opportunity for people to explore their public lands, including the 391 units of the National Park Service,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. “The men and women of the National Park Service are proud to preserve 84 million acres of this nation for the enjoyment of the American people.”

In addition to waiving entrance fees, national parks and other public lands will host special programs and volunteer projects on Saturday to commemorate the 15th annual National Public Lands Day.

In all 50 states, volunteers can take part in projects to improve public places. Last year, more than 110,000 people helped with tasks such as planting trees, building trails, or removing invasive plants. Anyone who volunteers at a National Park Service area on National Public Lands Day will receive a free one day pass valid for future use at any site.

On Sunday, Department of the Interior agencies, including the National Park Service, will not charge anyone entrance fees in tribute to newly naturalized citizens.

“Each park is a special place set aside to tell a part of our country’s story,” said Bomar, herself a naturalized citizen. “I feel it is important that every American, no matter how long his or her family has lived in the United States, connects firsthand with the heritage preserved in National Park Service sites.”

Usually, 147 of the country’s 391 National Park Service sites charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The other 244 areas do not have entrance fees.

Here in Northern California we can head to Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, and other beautiful places. Take advantage of the price break and the early autumn weather.

Like this post? Then please help me out and share it on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, and elsewhere -- and click that Google +1 button. And don't miss any Northern California Hiking Trails posts: subscribe by e-mail or subscribe by RSS.

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge

Previous post:

Next post: