You can visit any of America’s national parks for free on Veterans Day
Veterans Day is Monday.
It’s also a free entrance day across America’s national parks, the last such day this year.
“We’re excited for members of the public to discover national parks on Veteran’s Day, and especially invite current military and their dependents, veterans, and Gold Star Families to get a Military Pass to get free entrance to parks any day," National Park Service Director and Navy veteran Chuck Sams said in a statement. "As a veteran, it is fantastic to see other veterans and their loved ones explore parks, learn about our nation’s history, and find peace in the outdoors.”
Here’s what park lovers should know.
Are all US national parks free?
They are on free-entrance days, of which there were six this year.
The rest of the year, only about a quarter of the parks within the National Park System charge entrance fees, including many of the most popular parks. Fees often cover entry for multiple days and, when vehicle-based, multiple people.
Travelers can see which parks charge fees on the National Park Service’s website and park-specific webpages.
Veterans, service members and their dependents, Gold Star families, fourth graders and their families, and U.S citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities may enter national parks free all year.
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Does every state have a national park?
Yes and no.
There are 431 units within the National Park System, which are all broadly considered parks, though they’re as wide-ranging as national battlefields, historic sites, parkways and seashores. By that definition, there is a national park in every state.
However, only 63 of those are what most people think of as capital "N-P" national parks, like Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Not every state has one of those. Some states, like Utah and California, have multiple parks, and many of them charge entrance fees.
Prospective visitors can find the nearest national park at the park service’s Find a Park webpage.
Story continues below.
Why do national parks charge fees?
Fees are used to enhance visitor services, like improving accessibility at Acadia National Park, replacing boardwalks at Everglades National Park, and restoring Many Glacier Hotel at Glacier National Park.
“At least 80 percent of funding from recreation fees stays in the park where it is collected, and the other 20 percent is used to benefit parks that do not collect fees or parks which generate only a small amount of revenue,” according to the National Park Service, which shares park-specific examples of fee dollars usage through an interactive map on its website.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National parks offer free entry for Veterans Day
