Take Advantage of Free Entrance to National Parks

For an affordable fall getaway, consider visiting a nearby national park next weekend. The entrance fee for all 397 national parks will be waived September 29 for National Public Lands Day. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service also will be offering free admission to their sites.

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Visitors at several national parks on September 29 also will have an opportunity to work on projects to beautify the land. Among the parks hosting volunteer events are Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia, San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Prince William Forest Park in Virginia.

There also will be opportunities to volunteer at public and community gardens, beaches, wildlife preserves, forests and other public lands. For more information, see the National Public Lands Day Web site. National Public Lands Day volunteers will receive a coupon for free entrance to a national park. This can include accompanying passengers in a car at some parks.

Visit the National Park Service site for a state-by-state list of parks that will waive fees September 29. Normally, 133 national parks charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The park service also will offer free admission November 10 through 12 in commemoration of Veterans Day.

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