Visit Any National Park for Free This Saturday to Celebrate 25th National Public Lands Day

If you’re stuck for plans this weekend, we suggest escaping your city or town for the great outdoors.

This Saturday marks the 25th National
Public Lands Day, organized by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).

The annual event is known to be the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort and is one of the four days in 2018 where you can
visit any national park for free—even at parks that normally charge an entrance fee.

Additionally, if you decide to volunteer for a work project this Saturday, you will also receive a fee-free day coupon to be used on a future date, the National Parks Service (NPS) said.

Visit national parks, forests, and monuments for free tomorrow-Saturday, Sept. 22-in honor of the 25th National Public Lands Day focusing on restoration and resilience. Organized by @NEEFusa, @forestservice, @NatlParkService. Find an event near you at https://t.co/VHbZWgwDwJ. pic.twitter.com/8HgjGcs2cP

— LandSearch (@landsearchapp) September 21, 2018

At last year occasion, roughly 169,000 people rolled up their sleeves at more than 21,000 sites, generating $16.7 million in volunteer hours.

The volunteers planted trees, removed trash, repaired structures and habitats and more, providing much-needed help in chipping away at the national park system’s
$11 billion backlog of repairs.

Last year, the Interior Department moved to more than double the entrance fees at the busiest parks to address maintenance and other costs, but backed away after widespread public backlash. Ultimately, NPS decided to increase entrance fees for the 117 parks that charge admission between $5 to $10 for annual passes.

Fittingly, the theme of this year’s National Public Lands Day will focus on the “resilience and restoration” of our public lands.

“Every day, natural disasters and
extreme weather, human activities, and a host of other factors take their toll on our public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife who depend on them,” NEEF said on its website. “Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.”

The annual event, which always falls on the fourth Saturday of September, is held in cooperation with seven federal agencies and more than 250 state, county, city, university and school partners.

Stuck on where to go? Visit the NPS
website where you’ll have more than 400 national parks to choose from. Also check out the NEEF website to find volunteer events near you.

National Parks Service