You can visit national parks for free this Friday. Here’s what to know
Friday is your last opportunity this year to visit national parks for free.
More than 120 National Park Service sites that typically charge a fee between $5 and $35 will waive that cost in honor of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11.
“Many national parks have direct connections to the American military — there are dozens of battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans,” the National Park Service said on its website.
The parks serve as reminders of home to those stationed abroad, especially the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, the USS Arizona Memorial, and the Statue of Liberty, the park service said.
Nov. 11 is the last of five fee-free days the park service planned for 2022. The fees will be waived for every visitor, veteran or not.
“Whether on an entrance fee-free day or throughout the year, we encourage everyone to discover their national parks and the benefits that come from spending time outdoors,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a previous news release. “National parks are for everyone and we are committed to increasing access.”
National parks have been busier than ever since the coronavirus pandemic started, and the park service experienced one of the busiest summer seasons on record after the pandemic had halted many peoples’ vacation plans in 2020, McClatchy News previously reported.
In 2020, 237 million people visited national parks, and more than 297 million visited national parks last year.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 6:32 PM with the headline "You can visit national parks for free this Friday. Here’s what to know."
