You can visit national parks for free on Veterans Day. Here’s why you may want to.

Eve Chen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
National Park Service volunteers escort WWII veterans to a wreath laying ceremony held by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service in this file photo from December 7, 2017. The memorial is one of the many sites within the National Park System with military ties.
National Park Service volunteers escort WWII veterans to a wreath laying ceremony held by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service in this file photo from December 7, 2017. The memorial is one of the many sites within the National Park System with military ties.

America’s national parks are waiving entry fees for Veterans Day, the last free admission day of the year.

And it’s not just the 63 national parks like Bryce Canyon in Utah or Grand Teton in Wyoming, but all 425 sites within the National Park System. Those include national battlefields like Antietam in Maryland and national seashores like Cumberland Island in Georgia.

More than 100 of those sites have historic military ties and would be perfect places to commemorate Veterans Day. Some are holding special events for the holiday. Additionally, veterans comprise a fifth of the National Park Service's work force, and many see it as a continuation of their service to the country. Veterans and service members also turn to the parks for various purposes ranging from recreation to recuperation.

"National parks are the living memory of our nation, the conscience of America, and many of them have direct relevance to the U.S. Military and the sacrifices of those who served,” National Park Service Director and Navy veteran Chuck Sams said in a statement. “Visits to national parks while I was a young sailor in the Navy were incredibly meaningful and formative. Seeing treasured natural and cultural landmarks firsthand connected me to our country’s shared history and provided inspiration to serve and defend.”

Visitors don’t have to be veterans enjoy parks for free on the holiday.

One veteran's legacy Free, lifetime access to national parks for fellow vets, Gold Star Families

Are all U.S. national parks free?

All 425 parks are free for everyone to enter on Veterans Day, but visitors may still have to pay other types of fees. For instance, Waco Mammoth National Monument in Texas, which is managed by the National Park Service, the City of Waco and Baylor University, charges an access fee for its dig shelter. Specific details are available on each park’s website.

Many parks are also free year-round, as only a fraction of them charge entrance fees. Those that do top out at $35 per vehicle.

Do military members get free access to national parks?

Current service members and their families are eligible for free annual passes for the parks.

Veterans and Gold Star Families are eligible for free lifetime access to the parks thanks to the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, which was passed in Dec. 2021.

Fourth graders, and U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities also get free access with separate passes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National parks are perfect places to spend Veterans Day. Here’s why.