National parks are one of America’s greatest gifts.
You can visit any one of the nation’s 400 national parks for free today on National Public Lands Day.
In Washington state, I’ve visited Fort Vancouver, Klondike Gold Rush – Seattle Unit, Lake Roosevelt, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic national parks.
And, of course, visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona was the thrill of a lifetime.
On fee-free days, you can visit one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee at no cost. The other parks are free all the time. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days doesn’t cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
All the money from entrance fees remains in the National Park Service, and at least 80 percent stays in the park where it was collected.
National Public Lands Day is also a day volunteers donate time in national parks. Volunteers also are welcome throughout the year to work on projects such as leading education programs, maintaining or rebuilding trails or historic buildings, monitoring wildlife, being a campground host, and supporting libraries and museums.
You can also donate to your favorite national park or to the National Park Foundation.
I love our national parks and am so glad they've been created for public use.
