Free Entrance Days at National Parks

Over the past few years, my parents have spent at least part of their vacation time visiting and exploring the National Parks. There are so many beautiful and interesting parks and monuments out there to explore - in every state except Delaware. I've been to a couple of National Parks as a child with my parents. I can remember going to the Petrified Forest in Arizona and the Grand Canyon. There are a number of other parts that I would love to explore someday.

Have you explored many of the parks? Do you plan to anytime soon? Did you know that the National Parks offer several Fee-Free days? We've already missed the first fee free days for 2012 back in January, but in just under two weeks, during National Park Week, you can once again visit the parks that normally charge an entrance fee for free.

"America's Best Idea - the national parks - gets even better with several fee-free days at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees.

Mark your calendar for these fee-free dates in 2012:

January 14-16
Martin Luther King Jr. weekend

April 21-29
National Park Week

June 9
Get Outdoors Day

September 29
National Public Lands Day

November 10-12
Veterans Day weekend

Here's a tip - many of your 397 national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee."

You can check out their Free Entrance Days page for more details.

As I was exploring the site, I learned two things. You can buy an annual pass for $80, or if you are over 62 and a US Citizen/Permanent Resident, you can buy a Senior Pass for $10. The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series will provide you access to over 2000 National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands. The annual pass, as you might guess, is good for one year. The Senior Pass is good for your lifetime.