With fall quickly approach , you might be inclined to take advantage of the class ’s last few tenacious , sunny days with a weekend sojourn to the great outdoors . On Saturday , September 23 , you’re able to savour in the candid airwave of anynational parkfor free as part ofNational Public Lands Day .
harmonize tothe National Park Service , the vacation has been hold on the fourth Saturday of every September since 1994 , and it ’s also the nation ’s largest individual - day unpaid worker effort . It ’s up to you whether you ’d like to touch in the service side or simply go for a stroll . chance for volunteering include tree - planting , Mungo Park cleaning , and more ; you’re able to find event near youhere .
There are more than400 areasrun by the National Park Service across the U.S. , and many of them are n’t “ parks ” in the traditional sense of the word ; theStatue of Liberty , Alcatraz Island , and myriad other monuments and historic sites are also run by the NPS . Wondering if there might be one closer than you thought ? Explore commons in your arena with this interactivemap .

home park entrance fees haveincreasedin late years . Some of the most popular parks , likeYosemite , Yellowstone , Glacier , Grand Canyon , andAcadia , excite a top fee of $ 35 per fomite ( which will give you an incoming passing play that is valid for several serial days ) . Others — like theGreat Smoky MountainsandCuyahoga Valley — are always detached , but the wear and tear of millions of yearly visitors requires a mess of money to remedy . The unpaid worker projects taking property on National Public Lands Day are an leisurely way to give back and put a dent in the park system’smaintenance backlog .
For those of you who ca n’t take vantage of the free admission on Saturday , September 23 , the National Park Service will alsowaiveall entrance fees forVeterans Dayon Saturday , November 11 .
A version of this narration range in 2019 ; it has been update for 2023 .