No admission fees during National Park Week

Glacier National Park

What better time to show your love and appreciation for America’s national parks than during National Park Week, April 20-28, 2013. Admission is free Monday through Friday of that week to all of our nation’s 401 national parks.

Yellowstone National Park

The National Park Service and the National ParkFoundation, official charity of American’s national parks, invite you to discover history, explore nature, and just have fun. Since there’s a national park in every state—and every American is less than 100 miles from a national park-- there’s no reason not to visit for a day or more during this special week.

Take your pick from a variety of seashores, battlefields, historic homes, archeological sites, or spectacular natural areas. Each of these destinations in some way helps celebrate our national heritage, and most have recreational facilities for visitors to use.

You can plan your visit by choosing a park near where you live or checking out special programs offered during the week at various parks. It’s a great time to get to know a national park you’ve never visited before or to explore new areas of a familiar park.



Great Smokey Mountain National Park

If you have children, a great time to schedule a park visit is Saturday, April 20, which is National Junior Ranger Day. Young visitors are encouraged to explore, learn, and protect park resources, and they can be sworn in as Junior Rangers. Many parks will welcome anyone willing to help with projects on April 27, Volunteer Day.

Grand Teton National Park

To whet your appetite for a park excursion, here are some statistics on what you can find in our national parks: 84 million acres of spectacular scenery, historic landmarks and cultural treasures; 17,000 miles of trails; 43,000 miles of shoreline; 27,000 historic and prehistoric structures; 100 million museum items; and 12,000 campsites. National parks belong to the public, so we should support and protect these resources—and you’ll get so much pleasure from exploring these amazing places.

Utah’s Fab Five

Arches National Park

 Here’s more inspiration: One of my favorite destinations is Southern Utah, an absolute wonderland of stunning mountain scenery, archeological formations, and cool rivers. Five of the country’s most outstanding parks are located in a relatively compact region, and you could visit all of them during April’s Fee Free Week. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck by taking a road trip or guided tour that encompasses several of these beautiful parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks.

Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier

Read more travel stories at Striped Pot and Austin Adventure Travel

 

Free admission to all national parks

Colorado River at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park

Visit a national park this weekend. All 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

You can literally walk in Dr. King's footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC – just a few of the many national parks that have direct ties to Dr. King or the Civil Rights movement.

Zion National Park in Utah

Other parks that will hold special events honoring Dr. King this weekend include the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, DC.

“Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Dr. King’s story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened. I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand.”

Your nearest national park can also help you keep that New Year’s resolution, whether it is to get more exercise, spend quality time with family and friends, try a new sport, learn some history, expand your horizons, or enjoy the natural world. There’s something for everyone at a national park, even in the middle of winter.

Big Bend National Park in Texas

Choices include snow shoe hikes, canoe trips, campfire programs, film festivals, battle reenactments, and music jams. It is also a great time of year to view wildlife such as bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming or grey whales at Point Reyes National Seashore in California.  A list of activities can be found at www.nps.gov.

Yellowstone National Park

Mark your calendar for more free park days: The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012 – National Park Week (April 21 to 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10 to 12). 

Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier

Read more travel stories at Striped Pot and Austin Adventure Travel