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You now have ten more reasons to visit America’s National Parks in 2017! Starting in January, America’s National Park’s will open without entry fees for all who choose to explore the Nation’s best idea. From our stunning national parks and national historical parks, to our national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores, 2017 is yet another year to #LoveOurPublicLands. There is at least one national park in every state, so don’t keep this message local. Spread the word!
During the fee free days, all National Park Service sites will waive their entrance fees for all visitors, but campgrounds, boat launches, transportation and special tours will still cost you some money. For ten days, the entire world can visit the National Park Service’s 84 million acres of land spread out over 413 of the most incredible sites in the world. In 2015, over 307 million people visited a national park in the United States, spending $16.9 billion dollars. Your fees and support of public lands the communities around them helped created 295,000 jobs and had a $32 billion impact on the U.S. economy. Not too shabby for a bunch of wilderness and old buildings!
“National parks are known for their priceless beauty,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “They are a bargain anytime but on these ten days in 2017, they really will be priceless. We want everyone to visit their national parks and the fee free days provide extra incentive to experience these amazing places.”
The ten entrance fee-free days for 2017 will be:
- January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- February 20: Presidents Day
- April 15-16 & April 22-23: National Park Week Weekends
- August 25: National Park Service Birthday
- September 30: National Public Lands Day
- November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend
To continue your National Park adventure beyond these fee free days, consider picking up an annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass. This pass, which is a one time fee for the entire year allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks,. This is one of the best things you can buy if you love our public lands! Yet another awesome part of our National Parks is that there are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, current military members, fourth grade students, and disabled citizens. More information on passes can be found here. Passes can be purchased at REI or at the entrance gates and visitor centers in your local National Park.
Finally, once you have your pass and have planned your trip, make sure you pick up the best guidebooks for the region you are visiting. For those looking to explore the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the published books from The Outdoor Society will inspire adventure, as well as give you all the important information needed to have the best trip ever.
CREATE THE PERFECT VACATION IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
GET OUR BOOK:
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK & OLYMPIC PENINSULA.
Cover Image from Staircase in Olympic National Park. Image is part of The Outdoor Society’s collection of over 30,000 Olympic Peninsula images. For high resolution, professional prints, please contact us. For calendars, please see our store.
