National Parks Will Waive Entry Fees in Honor of Veterans Day

THE NATIONAL PARKS, being giant swaths of spectacular land spaces, can't show their gratitude in the traditional ways that a human being might, from a card, a good deed, a special dinner, or some meaningful time together. But the National Park Service can express its thanks to those who have served, each and every year, by taking time out on Veterans Day to acknowledge those who have given so much. And to do so, entry fees are waived at over 100 national parks, those parks that usually ask for an admission fee at their gates. As is tradition, Nov. 11, which is a Thursday in 2021, will be a free day at parks like Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and several other celebrated destinations around California and beyond.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE... has also devoted a spotlight page to Veterans Day, and the many battlefields and military sites that people can visit on the 11th of November, or any day of the year. These Sites of Remembrance include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., as well as a host of other hallowed spots. In California, Fort Point National Historic Site, Cabrillo National Monument, and Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park are all recommended visits. You can read more about the close-to-home locations, their history, and how to find other parks, monuments, and important places around our country on this page.

THERE ARE SIX FREE DAYS... on the National Parks calendar each year. Veterans Day is the final day each year to find the complimentary entry at the parks, while the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the first of the six, in January. For more on this program, the names and locations of the parks that waive their fees, and how to find sites that honor those who have served, start with this page now.