National Parks to Offer Free Admission on 9 Days in 2014

Circle the dates on the calendar and plan your trip – America’s 401 national parks will offer free admission on nine days in 2014, including several holidays. The 2014 entrance fee-free days are:

◾January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
◾February 15-17: Presidents Day weekend
◾April 19-20: National Park Week’s opening weekend
◾August 25: National Park Service’s 98th birthday
◾September 27: National Public Lands Day
◾November 11: Veterans Day

“America’s national parks welcome more than 280 million visitors a year. To say thanks for that support and invite every American to visit these treasures that they own, we are declaring nine days of free admission next year,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “Whether it’s that once-in-a-lifetime family trip to Yellowstone or taking a daily walk along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., or the moment at Central High School that your child suddenly understands what civil rights are all about, national parks offer places for unforgettable experiences.

With more than 84 million acres of spectacular scenery, 17,000 miles of trails, 5,000 miles of shoreline, 27,000 historic and prehistoric structures, and 100 million museum items and an infinite number of authentic American stories to tell, national parks offer something for every taste.

Those in search of superlatives will find them in national parks including the country’s highest point (in Denali National Park) and lowest point (in Death Valley National Park), deepest lake (Crater Lake National Park), longest cave (Mammoth Cave National Park), tallest trees (Redwood National Park), and highest waterfall (Yosemite National Park).

Normally, 133 national parks charge an entrance fee that ranges from $3 to $25. The entrance fee waiver does not cover amenity or user fees for things like camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.

Other Federal land management agencies that will offer fee-free days in 2014 are: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers. Please contact each for details.


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Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

2014 Annual Park Pass Available

The 2014 Glacier National Park Annual Pass is available for purchase and features the winning artwork from the recent annual art contest sponsored by the park and the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

The pass showcases an image of the historic Lake McDonald Lodge by 2013 Glacier High School Graduate Valarie Kittle. High school students participating in the contest were requested to submit artwork related to the 100th anniversaries of three iconic cultural resources in the park- Lake McDonald Lodge, Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet.

The pass can be purchased from park headquarters 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling 406-888-7800. The pass is also available through the Glacier National Park Conservancy located in Columbia Falls at 402 9th Street West or by calling 406-892-3250.

Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said, “We are pleased to have the new passes available for the holiday season, and showcase a local student’s artwork.” Mow said he appreciates the partnership with the Glacier National Park Conservancy in sponsoring the artwork contest and making the passes available at their Columbia Falls Office.

Approximately 80% of the revenue from the park annual passes sold is returned to the park through the Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program and is used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services at the park.

The annual pass allows unlimited entry to the park for one year from month of first use and admits the pass owner and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. The cost is $35. The pass is for entrance into the park only and does not apply to any other user fee.

Without an annual park pass, the park’s seven-day winter entrance fee is $15 for vehicles and $10 for single entrants (hiker /bicyclist /motorcyclist), and during the summer the fees are $25 for vehicles and $12 for single entrants.



Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park