Okay, so there are no THEME parks that are giving away free entrance this weekend, but there are over 392 National Parks that are! What a great way to spend a day or even a few hours – for free! During the year there are 5 designated ‘free’ dates and this weekend happens to be one of them. Mark your calendar for the remaining fee-free days this year:
- August 14-15, 2010
- September 25, 2010 (Public Lands Day)
- November 11, 2010 (Veterans Day)
Not only is the admission free, many parks are offering additional savings on lodging, food and souvenirs. Regular guided tours and outdoor activities will be available at some of the favorite parks across the country. While many enjoy the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, right here in Florida, tourist will be busy visiting the exotic Everglades National Park. This is not the only National Park in Florida, however. We also have the following parks worth visiting:
Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, FL
Biscayne National Park – Miami, Key Biscayne & Homestead, FL
Castillo De San Marcos National Monument – St. Augustine, FL
Dry Tortugas National Park – Key West, FL
Everglades National Park – Miami, Naples, and Homestead, FL
Fort Caroline National Memorial – the Timucuan Preserve; Jacksonville, FL
Fort Matanzas National Monument – St. Augustine, FL
Gulf Islands National Seashore – Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor – FL, GA, NC, SC
Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve – Jacksonville, FL
Parks a little closer to the Central Florida area are:
Canaveral National Seashore – Titusville and New Smyrna Beach, FL
and
De Soto National Memorial – Bradenton, FL
Both of these parks offer a dip in the water to help you cool off and offer excellent fishing, hiking, boating, nature and other activities to fill a day or just a few hours.
Orlando Tourist Tip: More than 200 national parks offer free admission year round including De Soto National Memorial. Even though the Canaveral National Seashore normally costs $3/person, it is great when you can enter for free, so take advantage of the free admission and enjoy your time at a National Park!
*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
