On April 18 and 19, you can participate in one of the country’s greatest bargains of the year. Acadia, Yosemite, Zion, Harpers Ferry, Rocky Mountain, and hundreds of other iconic parks will waive their entrance fees as part of the kickoff to National Park Week, which runs through April 26.
Though only 127 of the country’s 400-plus national park sites charge entrance fees, fee-free holidays like this one are a great excuse to make plans to explore. With miles of scenery, thousands of years of history, and limitless travel possibilities, national park sites offer the best of America. A complimentary trip through the entrance gate is the icing on the cake. And who doesn’t like icing on their cake?
The scoop: National Park Week is an annual celebration that serves as a kind of open house for all 84 million acres of the National Park System. Many individual parks will host special events—including a living history weekend at Gettysburg National Battlefield in Pennsylvania, bird and waterfront walks at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in California, free art exhibits at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, old-time Appalachian music at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and much, much more. Some sites also have special junior ranger events on the 18th and throughout the week, so if you have young nature lovers in your life, be on the lookout for some of these excellent programs near you.
See the official National Park Week website and search for National Park Week events for more ideas to make plans.
