Free National Park Admission

[LL_Moderator_ks]

Hi Community - Anyone going to take advantage of the free national park admission this weekend?

Free admission to national parks this weekend - CNN.com

[jmbklj]

Funny, I came here to post a note on this and I see Katie beat me to it! LOL!

Here is a link to a list that shows the participating parks by state.


U.S. National Park Service Free Entrance Days - Participating Parks (by state)

[omegaet]

So it is, Free Admission this weekend.

We're fortunate to have Everglades National Park almost in our backyard.....well, almost.

We're planning to head out to the Shark Valley entrance Saturday morning and see if we can grab the first tram (not free), for the 15 mile loop excursion. This is a great time of the year to visit this part of the park (not so damp like the summers) and the 'swamp angels' are not as active. That's the name the locals call those Everglade mosquitoes (small airplanes and very, very thirsty). So many of the visitors and even residents really don't take advantage of this fantastic park (most people are in such a rush to drive across Alligator Alley to get to one side or the other of the state).

We'll be on the lookout for some of our favorite migratory birds....Roseate Spoonbills.

Hope other folks go to a National Park this weekend.

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I have Valley Forge and Independence Hall in/near Philadelphia - been there, done that. Would be nice to have a place like Everglades or one of the more scenic parks in my back yard!

[omegaet]

I drive across Alligator Alley frequently and I take along my binoculars and a long lens for my camera. I try to make at least one stop at a formal rest stops or one of the boat launch ramps.....in hopes of getting a glimpse of one or more of the birds of prey. The Everglades National Park is large enough to sustain eagles, hawks, falcons, and kites. There are always plenty of vultures looking for remnants of road kill.

As I said previously, most motorists just rush by and miss so much of the incredible wildlife.

[LL_Travelfan]

We too come across Alligator Alley from time to time. The trip is rather boring without a gas stations, shops, etc. It does however team with wildlife. The last couple of times we drove it, we made a game of it counting the number of Kingfishers we could spot. It was fun, and the trip went faster....

[LL_Travelfan]

Take A Hike In A National Park

The U.S. National Park Service operates millions of acres of picture-postcard views and educational experiences in hundreds of national parks, historic sites, and heritage areas. You can visit them all for cheap U.S. National Park Service America the Beautiful (http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm) with an $80 annual pass for a carload or with a $10 lifetime pass for seniors. Or, just go for free on one of the 17 fee-free days in 2012: January 14 to 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend), April 21 to 29 (National Park Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10 to 12 (Veterans Day weekend). Many park-related hotels, restaurants, gift shops, and tour operators offer special discounts on fee-free days, too.

[omegaet]

We too come across Alligator Alley from time to time. The trip is rather boring without a gas stations, shops, etc. It does however team with wildlife. The last couple of times we drove it, we made a game of it counting the number of Kingfishers we could spot. It was fun, and the trip went faster....

I find the drive across the Everglades anything but 'boring.'

Time to listen to a book on disk (stay off my cell phones) and appreciate the wildlife...maybe because I often cross at early hours or just prior to sunset....I almost always see interesting sights.

btw....last weekend was beautiful on the Shark Valley loop.

[LL_Travelfan]

We do listen to books on tape which make the trip go a lot faster. I imagine you would see more wildlife in the early morning hours or at sunset time. We usually have timed our trips so we would be getting in in time for check-in at the various east coast hotels we have stayed.

[jmbklj]

Free entrance to national parks on Get Outdoors Day, June 9, 2012

Created to reconnect kids and other first-time park visitors with the call of the wild, Saturday's fifth annual National Get Outdoors Day will offer free admission to the roughly one-third of national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands that normally charge an entrance fee.

Some state parks - including those in Washington State - will waive their entrance fees as well, while more than 130 free special events in 37 states include everything from fishing lessons to photo ops with Smokey Bear.

Remaining fee-free days at national parks this year include National Public Lands Day, Sept. 29, and Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10-12. Although entrance fees are waived, charges for park activities, camping and lodging will remain in effect.

Free entrance to national parks on Get Outdoors Day, June 9 - USATODAY.com