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 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.