Free entry to national parks and, um, bugs on hand

Joseph Dits, South Bend Tribune
·1 min read

Enter any national park for free, see all kinds of insects up close, or do a mapped-out hike or bike ride at Potato Creek State Park. This week’s Outdoor Adventures column brings you these events.

Free day at national parks

All national parks and federal lands will offer free admission Aug. 4, including Indiana Dunes National Park. Other fees will still be in effect, such as for overnight camping.

This celebrates the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, which infused dollars for a backlog of maintenance.

Bug Night

Get up close with insects, dig for them, catch them with nets, do a bug-inspired craft or scope out a butterfly garden in this two-hour event at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Cobus Creek County Park, 30680 County Road 8, Elkhart.

The variety of activities includes face painting and the ETHOS Science2Go Bus. Cost is $5 per vehicle.

The main column:How to help Indiana's oldest mountain bike group

Hike, bike the spud

The Hoosier Hikers will host a 5- or 10-kilometer Volksmarch on dirt trails and an 11-kilometer Volksbike on paved bike trails Aug. 6 at Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty.

Register and start either event between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the nature center and then go at your own pace. You may participate for free or pay $3-$16 for Volkssport credit or awards.

For more details, find a link in this column online.

For questions, contact Bob Buzolich at sonofbuzz@prodigy.net or 574-339-9140.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: National parks offer free day and Cobus Creek hosts Bug Night