Free entry to national parks and forests on Veterans Day 2019
On Veterans Day, national parks, national forests and other federal lands that charge entry fees will be free. Monday’s free admission also applies to sites overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers and wildlife refuges run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Now in its 100th year, the southern Utah park welcomes 4.3 million visitors annually. And that’s not easy.
There are 419 units in the National Park Service, but only some charge visitors to enter. Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks cost $30 per vehicle for a pass that’s good for seven days.
Speaking of Yosemite, traffic in popular Yosemite Valley can get very congested on holiday weekends. To leave your car behind, the park’s regional transit system, called YARTS, is offering free rides Sunday and Monday on several routes, including departures between the valley and Fresno and Merced. Visitors save $30 to $32 on the round-trip ride.
In Southern California, the holiday freebie means picnickers and hikers in the Angeles, Los Padres, Cleveland and San Bernardino national forests may skip the required $5 Adventure Pass.
State parks may or may not be free on Veterans Day. For example, Arizona and California parks will be free Monday only for active military members and veterans. Washington state will give all visitors free admission to its parks Monday; Texas does the same, only on Sunday.
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