With the U.S. and the world in recession, there’s more reason than ever to love the country’s national parks. For incomparable natural beauty and adventure at a bargain price, the National Park Service can’t be beat. Of the 391 parks, monuments, historic sites, seashores, battlefields and more within the system — covering more than 84 million acres — only 147 charge an entrance fee, ranging from $3 to $25. Admission to the rest is free.
Even better, you’re practically guaranteed to have a national park near you: There are NPS sites in every state except Delaware, as well as in the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Now there’s another good reason to visit a national park soon. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that on three weekends this summer — June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16 — admission will be free at the 147 sites that normally charge an entrance fee, including the popular Yosemite and Grand Canyon parks. (You can read more about the free weekends here.) That’s good news for parks aficionados, and there are a lot of them out there: NPS sites received more than 275 million visits last year, according to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
Do you enjoy visiting U.S. national parks? If so, are the free weekends likely to attract you to a park this year? Where will you go, to one of the two parks mentioned above, or perhaps the Everglades, Shenandoah or Mount Rainier? Leave a comment here and tell us about your favorite national parks!
Wow. Is this free for backcountry permits too?
Is it true that parking in NEW YORK CITY is FREE on weekends (parking on the street)?
someone told me that its free to park on the streets in Manhattan on the weekends? does anyone know if this is true and what the rules and regulations of this are? thank you
There's not one park that doesn't sound thrilling to me lately. I have a new photography fetish. Everything I see in nature becomes subject to scrutiny. Muddy knees, shoes & toes getting the right pic is my idea of a good time. lol
WOW, It's really great that Free weekends at national parks but it is sad for me because i am form India not possible to enjoy with you all.All of you enjoy weekends in national parks.
Well then 'recession' is a reason to love the national park :-).
Cool I wish I would have known that before I went on my trip1 Had lots of fun@
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEY5wycJtIE
I guess that we will need some equipment to go these parks then...
Great idea unless you live in the state of California, which plans to close 80% or 200 state parks, due to the California budget crisis..... http://www.savestateparks.org/
Close the parks and kiss the Illegals backsides! Way to go Call-it-Foni...
WOW...this definitely will cause us to attempt to schedule a national park trip this summer if time allows. Great deal for families! Thanks for sharing.
This is great, I love visiting the park system. Now if Florida would follow suit with the state parks it would be great!!!
free weekends at national parks is brilliant
would love to go but to far for me
