Active Duty, Vets, and Families Get Free Access to National Parks on Vet's Day

The National Park Service (NPS) says it will honor veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families by granting free access to all National Parks and NPS managed sites next Tuesday, November 11, marking Veteran's Day.

“I invite everyone to visit our many national parks that preserve and commemorate the sacrifices and achievements of the men and women who have fought in America’s wars,” said Mary A. Bomar, Director of the National Park Service. “On Veteran’s Day, and every day, what better way to learn about the hallowed places preserved in the National Park System and to honor the sacrifices of our veterans, than by visiting a national park.”

While the honors won't include camping fees, admission fees to some National Parks can amount of $25. The service says some individual parks may waive other fees normally charged the public for vets next Tuesday.

The NPS manages 391 sites including National Parks, historic sites, battlefields, and military parks. The ideals and freedoms military veterans fought for are remembered throughout the National Park System in areas as diverse as King’s Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina, Fort McHenry National Monument in Maryland, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia, Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site in Texas, and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana. National Parks preserve and commemorate these sites of historical significance in the on-going growth of this nation as part of its core mission to preserve important cultural resources.

Visit the service's website for more information on all the sites they oversee at www.nps.gov.

Photo: Valley Forge National Historic Park, courtesy National Park Service