Admission Is Free At 109 National Parks On Saturday, Including Two In The Carolinas
If you love being outdoors, even when the weather turns cooler, then you may want to find one of America’s national parks to visit this weekend. According to the National Park Service, all of the 109 park sites that charge admission fees will be free to visit on Saturday, November 11th.
Veterans Day is the last of the five days that the National Park Service will be waiving entrance fees in 2023. You’ll still have to pay fees for overnight camping, cabin rentals, transportation, group day use, and use of special areas. All fees collected by the National Park Service throughout the year, along with funding from the federal government, are used for repair projects and general maintenance.
The Carolinas have two national parks that normally charge admission fees. In North Carolina, it’s the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk. In South Carolina, head down to the Charleston area to visit Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park for free this Saturday.
Did you know that in 2022 there were roughly 312 million recreational visits to the 395 national parks that track attendance? That’s 15 million more than in 2021. And the most visited national park runs right through North Carolina! Our very own Blue Ridge Parkway had 15.7 million visits last year. The stunning mountain drive beat out the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California by about 72,000 visits.
Most national parks don’t ever charge entrance fees. There are several within a day’s drive from Charlotte, including the aforementioned Blue Ridge Parkway. You can see some others HERE.