Visit Nature: US National Parks Free To Enter This Friday To Honor Veterans Day
US National Parks free to enter this Friday
As most people know, there are certain days throughout the year when US National Parks are free to visit and one is coming up shortly.
America’s national parks are renowned for their natural beauty and many are putting on an extra display of fall colors. This makes Friday, November 11 the best day to visit, as the National Park Service (NPS) will waive its fees for that day in honor of Veterans Day. Head to one of the best fall-color spots to see the trees glowing with burnished reds, amber and bronze.
More than 400 National Park Service locations across the US will be free to enter. Admittedly, the majority of the parks are free to enter all year round. However, some of the most famous parks, including destinations like Joshua Tree and Yosemite do charge an entry fee. To get an idea of the savings, Yosemite charges a per-vehicle cost of $35 for a seven-day pass. Alternatively, if entering on foot, horse or bike, it’s $20 per person over the age of 16.
However, this coming Friday it’s a free for all at all National Parks – one of only five days in the calendar year when NPS makes its protected lands free to enter.
About the fee-free NPS dates 2022 and 2023
Each of the National Park Service’s free dates in 2022 and 2023 fall on a significant date as follows:
- Friday, November 11, 2023 – Veterans Day
- Monday, January 16, 2023 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Sunday, April 16, 2023 – the first day of National Park Week
- Friday, August 4, 2023 – the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sunday, September 24, 2023 – National Public Lands Day
- Saturday, November 11, 2023 – Veterans Day
Do you need to book your ticket?
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, parks have seen a huge uptick in visitors. In fact, this has been particularly with first-time visitors, ramblers, hikers and day-trippers escaping to nature in popular parks across the country.
While this is totally understandable, this did lead to issues like trail erosion, overcrowding, vandalism, and dumped trash across the parks. Meanwhile, it also led to long queues and major traffic jams. In response, many of the more popular parks have introduced a reservation system, with timed entry to manage crowds.
However, now peak season is done, overcrowding is not expected to be a problem. For that reason, most of the NPS parks have dropped their reservation requirements during fall and winter. These include Yosemite, Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Park. This means you can just turn up without a booking on Friday and enjoy the parks.
Choosing the park which is right for you
With many locations to visit and varied natural sights to see, some of the most popular could be busier than usual on fee-free day. Maybe this year choose one of the less-visited destinations to not only keep the crowding down but also to discover new and beautiful landscapes.
Visit the National Parks Service website for more information and enjoy everything this vast nation has to offer.