Looking for something fun, free, and fantastic to do with family and friends? Head out to America's national parks where millions of stars light up the dark night sky, deer and antelope (and a few other critters!) play on the wide open range, and history is an unbelievable experience, not an exam. And the best news? During National Park Week, April 21-29, ALL 397 of your national parks offer free admission, all week long!
More than 100 national parks that typically charge an entrance fee will let travelers in for free on June 21, the official first day of summer.
Summer is here. Schools are out and families are getting ready to take off on vacation. This means our nation's national parks will start to fill up. These parks, from Yellowstone to Yosemite, allow kids to get up-close with nature and offer great value for families. But they can also become overwhelmingly crowded. For some tips on ways to avoid the crowds, we checked in with award-winning travel writer and photographer, James Kaiser.
It's easy to disregard the Everglades. If you drive quickly through this marshy swath of land that stretches across Florida's most southern tip, you'll only see expansive fields of long, wispy grass. After awhile, your children are likely to tell you the scenery outside is boring.
Today Smokey Bear is celebrating his 66th birthday. My kids and I bumped into the famous bear last weekend while camping at Grover Hot Springs State Park in California's Sierra mountains. The USDA Forest Service put on a presentation about forest fire prevention and even let the kids play with the fire hose. My son had a fun time spraying his dad!| • | If smoking is permitted outdoors, safe practice requires a 3-foot clearing around the smoker. |
| • | Don't park your vehicle on dry grass. |
| • | If off-road vehicle use is allowed, internal combustion equipment requires a spark arrester. |
| • | Know your county's outdoor burning regulations. Unlawful trash burning is a punishable offense. |
| • | At the first sign of a wildfire, leave area immediately by established trails or roads. Contact a Ranger as soon as possible. If escape route is blocked, go to the nearest lake or stream. |
| • | Leave campsite as natural as possible, traveling on trails and other durable surfaces. |
| • | Inspect your site upon leaving. |
| • | Never take burning sticks out of a fire. |
| • | Never take any type of fireworks on public lands. |
| • | Keep stoves, lanterns and heaters away from combustibles. |
| • | Store flammable liquid containers in a safe place. |
| • | Never use stoves, lanterns and heaters inside a tent |
Last weekend my kids touched a banana slug, watched rock climbers scale unusual rock formations, and learned how to identify a redwood tree.In my state of California our governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating 220 of the state's 278 parks last year. Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation, says that plan was dropped in the face of an "enormous outcry from the public," and now the state plans part-time closure of 60 parks and reduced services at 90 others. Castle Rock is one of those places where services are being reduced.
Lawmakers in at least a dozen states have contemplated the closure of up to 400 state parks this year, according to a National Association of State Park Directors survey, says Philip McKnelly, the association's executive director.
The exact number to be closed remains a moving target, he says, as budget negotiations continue and compromises such as reducing hours and cutting staff are made to avoid closures.
Government leaders are tempted to view parks as expendable, McKnelly says, although public recreation facilities are important during an era of unemployment and financial stress. "They think, well, this is just play, it's frivolous ... but this is the worst time to be talking about closing parks."
When you're shoveling snow outside your house, it's hard to think about summer. But if you want to visit a national park this summer--especially one of the popular ones such as Yosemite or Yellowstone--you might want to start thinking now. Lodging in and around the parks books up fast, and many travelers make reservations in January and February.
Next weekend (August 15-16), the national park system is waiving the entrance fee at over 100 of its parks. Thousands upon thousands of Americans will be heading into the great outdoors--even the Obama family. The President, his wife, and children willl visit Yellowstone, Grand Junction, and the Grand Canyon, according to CBS News.
Today, the National Park Service announced that it will offer three fee-free weekends this summer to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit these national treasures. More than 100 parks charge entrance fees ranging from $4 to $25.
