2012 U.S. National Parks’ Fee-Free Days

Road tripping around the country inevitably accrues expenses – and quickly if you’re not careful. So when an opportunity arises to save a few bucks, it’s certainly something to consider as every little bit of savings can really add up to a large sum of money.

The U.S. National Park Service offers such savings to its visitors by waiving entry fees to national parks during a few weekends throughout the year known as fee-free days. This is a continuation of a promotion that was started with the purpose of inspiring Americans to explore the beautiful outdoor landscapes that can be found sometimes seemingly right in our own backyards. Considering the U.S. National Park Service has reported record attendance during these years, it appears that this effort has been a success.

In 2012, the U.S. National Park Service will offer 17 fee-free days throughout the year including:

January 14-16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend)

April 21-29 (National Parks Week)

June 9 (Get Outdoors Day)

September 29 (National Public Lands Day)

and November 10-12 (Veterans Day Weekend)

Additionally, according to CBS, Channel 6 in Richmond, Virginia, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service will waive their entrance and standard amenity fees on the following dates in 2012:

January14-16

June 9

September 29

November10-12.

To coincide with the U.S. National Park Service’s promotion, a number of hotels, restaurants, gift shops, and tour operators will show their support to this effort as well, as they will offer specials during the National Park fee-free days.

If you’re interested in seeing America’s beautiful sites while saving a few bucks, you should start planning your trip to visit a national park during a fee-free weekend now as reservations tend to book up quickly.

 

View Participating U.S. National Parks