Every year the National Park Service announces several dates for free access to U.S. national parks. All entrance fees are waived on these dates -- that means free access to some of the best scenery and trails in the world, folks! The free access dates for 2013 are:
- January 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- April 22 to 26: National Park Week
- August 25: National Park Service's birthday
- September 28: National Public Lands Day
- November 9 to 11: Veteran's Day Weekend
Links to all 58 national parks
If you miss the free access days, you can get a screaming deal on access to all national parks with an America the Beautiful Pass. Special passes are also available for seniors, volunteers, U.S. Military members and dependents, and the disabled. (All the information is at the above link.)
What hiking gear can I take on a plane?
Bottom line, these parks were created to preserve the land for a reason -- but you have to see it with your own eyes to really understand. Might as well go when it's free!
