National park entrance fees to be waived on Veterans Day
On Veterans Day and throughout the year, U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Family members can acquire a free lifetime pass, the NPS said.
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FOX Weather multimedia journalist Robert Ray traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, home of America’s First Veterans Day.
Everyone will be able to visit national parks for free on Saturday, as entrance fees will be waived in honor of Veterans Day.
The U.S. Department of the Interior is waiving entrance fees for all Interior-managed public lands, such as the national parks, on Saturday to commemorate those who have served.
WWII veteran salutes the presentation of the flags.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)
Additionally, on Veterans Day and throughout the year, U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Family members can acquire a free lifetime pass, the NPS said. The passes provide free admission to over 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and other federal recreational areas.
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Over 100 national parks have strong ties to the U.S. military, according to the NPS. They noted battlefields, monuments, memorials, terrain and scenic areas with connections to military service.
Mountains tower over a lake at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming during the spring of 2023.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
Several of these parks will hold special events on Veterans Day. Here are a few of them:
- Georgia - Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will host artillery demonstrations.
- Maryland - the Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine will host an event titled, "‘War’s Over!’": Armistice Day and the Origins of Veterans Day.
- Pennsylvania - Shiloh National Military Park will host free bus tours for veterans.
- Virginia - Petersburg National Battlefield will host a Poplar Grove National Cemetery Luminary.
More information about additional events and military-related connections to national parks can be found at the NPS American Military website.
In North Carolina, green pastures surround the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad as it travels along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
(Great Smoky Mountains Railroad / FOX Weather)
"National parks are the living memory of our nation, the conscience of America, and many of them have direct relevance to the U.S. military and the sacrifices of those who served," said Chuck Sams, director of the National Park Service.
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"Visits to national parks while I was a young sailor in the Navy were incredibly meaningful and formative," he added. "Seeing treasured natural and cultural landmarks firsthand connected me to our country’s shared history and provided inspiration to serve and defend."
Skyline Arch at Arches National Park on January 13, 2021 in Moab, Utah.
(Josh Brasted / Getty Images)
Veterans Day is the fifth and last day of the year when park entrance fees will be waived.
Other days when the entrance was waived included Jan. 16, which was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday; April 22, or the first day of National Park Week; Aug. 4, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act; and Sept. 23, which was National Public Lands Day.
The national parks system includes more than 400 parks, with at least one in every state.