If you’ve been thinking about taking a trip to your local National Park, this upcoming Saturday, September 23, may be one of your best opportunities to do so!
September 23 is the second-to-last free entrance day of the year at National Parks across the United States, designed to celebrate National Public Lands Day. It’s typically one of, if not the, largest single-day volunteer efforts across the country.
Saturday is one of five free entrance days that occurs annually in the United States. Veterans Day, November 11, is the last of the year, and January 16, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, will be the first of 2024. April 22 marks the second free entrance day as the start of National Park Week, and August 4 celebrates the Great American Outdoors Act.
The free entrance day really just affects the parks that typically charge an entrance fee. Transportation, camping, boat launches, tours, and other amenities or user fees are not free on Saturday.
National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day was established in 1994, scheduled for the fourth Saturday in every September. It’s organized by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in order to inspire hundreds of thousands of people to volunteer to restore public lands.
If you’re interested in volunteering, information on how to do so is available both on NEEF‘s website and on the National Park Service’s website.
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Image Credit: National Park Service via Facebook