National parks will be open without charge on April 18-19 in honor of the opening weekend of National Park Week.
In addition to this month’s free days, national parks will waive entrance fees on Aug. 25 for the National Park Service’s 99th birthday, on Sept. 26 for National Public Lands Day and on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.
Roughly one-third of national parks — 127 out of 407 — charge entrance fees, which generally range from $3 to $25.
“From Acadia National Park on the East Coast, to Yosemite on the West; from Glacier National Park in the North, to Big Bend in the South; I’ve collected national parks like stamps. I’ve even lived in a national park, the White House,” former First Lady Laura Bush said in a news release promoting Find Your Park. “Our national parks are the treasures of our country.”
The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation last month launched the Find Your Park public awareness and education campaign. The campaign, leading up to the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016, encourages people to connect with national parks and public lands.
A study by Hall & Partners on behalf of the National Park Foundation revealed 80 percent of Americans have heard of the National Park Service, but a mere 38 percent are at all familiar with the agency does.
“There is something for everyone in our 407 national parks, whether it is the breathtaking landscapes or the historical and cultural sites that tell the story of our country,” Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a news release. “As we approach the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, this is a perfect time for all Americans – especially young people – to Find Your Park, from neighborhood parks to national parks and all public lands in between.”