PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior are waiving fees for the country’s national parks, forests and grasslands on Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day.
All visitors will be allowed to enter any of the country’s 423 national parks free of charge during the national holiday, which falls on a Friday this year. The National Park Service is not waiving fees for camping, boat launches, transportation, special tours or standard amenities.
“The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee,” the National Park Service said.
The U.S. Forest Service, meanwhile, is waiving all standard amenity fees to visitors at its managed day-use sites. These fees are typically imposed at picnic areas, developed trailheads and popular visitor centers. The fee waiver does not apply to special recreation permits, cabin rentals, campground reservations or other amenities offered at highly-developed park sites.
“Many veterans spend time with their families and connect with nature while hiking, hunting, boating, and exploring the range of outdoor recreation opportunities national forests and grasslands have to offer,” said Tracy Calizon, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest assistant director of recreation. “Making Veterans Day a fee-free day gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on the service of the nation’s veterans while spending time on America’s public lands.”
Veterans, Gold Star families and U.S. military service members and their families can access U.S. public lands, including National Forests and Grasslands for free year-round. Interagency Military Passes are available at no cost to all active-duty military personnel and their families. The pass is honored at all National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.