You Can Visit Over 400 National Parks Around The U.S. For Free On National Public Lands Day 2023

If you’re looking to explore a bit more of this beautiful country but would like to do so without putting a strain on your wallet, we have some great news. All of the U.S. national parks will be free to enter on September 23, 2023! In honor of National Public Lands Day 2023, the National Park Service has announced that all admission fees will be waived for visitors on September 23, 2023. More than 400 parks and national park units will be taking part in this nationwide event, so there’s bound to be one near you. Popular spots such as Acadia, Rocky Mountain, Shenandoah, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Everglades, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks are all included!

This month's free admission day honors National Public Lands Day, which was established in 1994 and is held annually on the fourth Saturday in September. The purpose of National Public Lands Day is to celebrate the connection that people feel with green spaces and to foster that relationship. It has also come to be one of the biggest single-day volunteer efforts of the year, as folks get out and help to improve our public green spaces each year on National Public Lands Day.Although millions of people visit national park units on an annual basis, many more do not have the opportunity to do so. Free admission days, like National Public Lands Day 2023, offer the opportunity to get out and visit our incredible public lands in the United States. One of the most accessible parks - and, thus, most visited - is the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. It connects Shenandoah National Park in the north to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south, while traversing more than 400 miles of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains in between.In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you'll be treated to incredible views, such as those from Clingman's Dome - the highest point in the park.

Though admission fees will be waived on September 23, the cost of other park activities like camping, rentals, transport, and certain tours will still apply.

If you're not near a national park, you can also visit any site managed by the National Park Service for free on National Public Lands Day 2023. This includes national monuments such as Devil's Tower in Wyoming.

It also includes

national lakeshores, such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, national scenic riverways, and national preserves, as well as national historic parks and sites.

You should be prepared to deal with increased traffic both on the roads around the parks and within the parks themselves, as plenty of people will want to take advantage of this epic deal. If you're unable to visit today, the next free admission day will be on Veterans Day, November 11.

Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to explore!

Can't decide which National Park to visit that weekend? Here are a few favorites that we've featured in the past:

If you live in the western half of the country, check out North Cascades National Park in Washington or Channel Islands National Park in California. You can surround yourself with the towering cacti in Saguaro National Park in Arizona or check out Utah's underrated Capitol Reef National Park.

If you're in the eastern half of the country, check out the scenic overlook at Clingman's Dome or hike the Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee or head to Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Everglades National Park in Florida is also an excellent choice.

In the Midwest, you'll find Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, and Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri. There are also several fascinating national monuments in the region, like Effigy Mounds in Iowa, as well as Pipestone and Grand Portage National Monuments in Minnesota. Michigan and Wisconsin are also home to stunning national lakeshores, such as Apostle Islands, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores.

And now's the perfect time to visit America's oldest national park in Arkansas and one of America's newest national parks in Indiana!