Community Corner

Great Escape: Visit a National Park for Free

In celebration of National Park Day, the U.S. government waives cost of entrance.

In observation of National Public Lands Day, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation invites everyone to enjoy their local parks for free on Saturday.

As part of the 18th-annual celebration, the service will waive all entrance fees to all 395 national parks and host special events for visitors and volunteers.

“Ranging from the community playground to the world’s first national park, about one third of our country’s land is public space—set aside for all of us to enjoy,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Whether you prefer to lend a hand on a volunteer project or just take it easy, Let’s Move Outside on National Public Lands Day and experience these wonderful places.”

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The National Park Service has developed a special Junior Ranger program for the day that will give kids a pedometer and encourage them to walk the length of trails in national parks across the country.  National park rangers will also help kids try out a climbing wall and test their speed in a tent-raising race.

Close to home, at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, visitors can enjoy the grand opening of the renovated visitor center. This site is one of 84 million acres of protected land across nation and some of the world’s most treasured memorials, landscapes, ecosystems and historic sites.

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