Celebrating National Public Lands Day

Free Admission at Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks

By Alison Grey, 9-28-07

The endless RV brigades of the summer tourist season have slowly made their departures from our national parks and autumn, a thankful reprieve from the scorching heat and smoky air, has finally arrived - the ideal time to get out and enjoy our public lands. And for the penny-pinching, ramen noodle eating, debt ridden among us, we won’t even have to worry about an admission fee for one day.

In celebration of the 14th Annual National Public Lands Day, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are opening their gates and waiving all entrance fees on Sept. 29. That’s $25 for a private, non-commercial rig. In my world, that’s enough savings to justify splurging on a burger and a beer on the way home.

And that’s not all folks!

All National Park Service sites are participating in free admittance, which includes all sites operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service.

In addition, national parks and other public lands will host special programs and volunteer efforts to help improve these lands we love. And, anyone who volunteers in a park program receives one free day pass valid for future use at any site!

I know, jackpot! Anyways, the fun all began back in 1994 when National Public Lands Day was created as a way for the community to both recognize and give back to our irreplaceable wildlands. What began with three federal agencies and some 700 volunteers has grown into an annual event, with 100,000 people volunteering their time in 1,100 locations throughout the U.S. last year.

Founders decided this was a good way to educate people about crucial environmental and natural resource issues, and perhaps inspire an attitude that effective land stewardship is not a solo venture - it’s a shared effort. National and local organizations join the local community in hands-on work to preserve, restore and enhance our great outdoors.

Part of why we live in the Rocky Mountain West is for its breathtaking and wild landscape and endless outdoor recreational opportunities. This is a good day to say thank you to Mother Nature and perhaps give something back to her as well.

And even if you don’t volunteer, get out there, take advantage of a free day in the parks, and appreciate a lifestyle that we often take for granted! 

For more info, go to National Public Lands Day.

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