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How to Gain Free Entry to National Parks

How to gain free entry to U.S. National Parks

Did you know that you can gain free entry to our National Parks?

Hey there, outdoor enthusiasts! Are you ready to dive into the wonders of our nation’s breathtaking landscapes? Well, hold onto your hats because I’ve got some exciting news for you! Free entry to National Parks is up for grabs! That’s right – whether you’re planning a family adventure or a solo exploration, there are opportunities to experience the beauty of our National Parks without breaking the bank.

Free Days

First things first, did you know that the National Park Service offers free access to National parks and lands on select days throughout the year? These special days are a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors without worrying about entrance fees. These dates are definitely worth noting, whether you’re looking to take advantage of the free entry…or maybe you might want to plan around those dates to avoid the potential crowds.

In 2024, mark your calendars for these free days:

  • January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
  • April 20: First day of National Park Week
  • June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
  • August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 28: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11: Veterans Day

Free Passes

But wait, there’s more! Did you know that some lucky folks can qualify for free access to National Parks all year long? That’s right – certain individuals are eligible for special passes that grant them unlimited entry to these natural wonders, no gate fee required. Here’s a quick rundown:

  1. Veterans Pass: For honorably discharged U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Families, a free lifetime pass is available, granting unlimited access to National Parks and other federal lands. It’s a small token of appreciation for their service and sacrifice – and a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with nature.
  2. Current Military Pass: Active-duty U.S. military members and their dependents, including those in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, Reserve, and National Guard, can obtain a free annual pass for unlimited access to National Parks and other federal lands. It’s a perk that recognizes their ongoing commitment to our country.
  3. Access Pass: Individuals with a medically determined permanent disability can receive the Access Pass, providing free lifetime entry to National Parks and other federal recreation sites. This pass also provides a discount on things like campground reservations and more at certain locations.
  4. Every Kid Outdoors Pass: Calling all 4th graders! U.S. Students in the 4th grade (or the equivalent age level for home-schooled and free-choice learners) are eligible for a free Every Kid Outdoors Pass, granting them and their families free entry to National Parks and other federal lands for an entire year. It’s a fantastic way to inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and instill a love of nature from a young age.
  5. Volunteer Pass: For dedicated volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies participating in the Interagency Pass Program, a free annual pass is available. It’s a token of appreciation for their hard work and commitment to preserving our natural landscapes.

Paid Passes

What if you don’t qualify for these passes? Fear not! Take advantage of the free days throughout the year and consider purchasing an Annual Pass. At just $80, the Annual Pass grants year-round access to National Parks and other federal lands. Better yet, if you are over the age of 62, that same $80 can get you a lifetime park pass. (or an annual for $20).

Our Personal Experiences

Our family is fortunate enough to have first hand experience with the Access Pass. Our daughter qualifies to hold the pass since Down syndrome is a qualifier. It’s important to note that this pass is only valid for entry when the individual is in the vehicle. It may seem obvious, but I share with you an oversight my son and I made while camping within a National Park. Charlee was tired from exploring in the heat all day and chose to stay in the camper with grandma while my son and I made a quick run to gas up the vehicle. Well, we hadn’t thought about the trouble we would have getting back in the gate without her in the vehicle with us. Lesson learned!

And even though we have an access pass in the household, I still tend to purchase an annual pass for myself. I find that it is a great value for anyone who plans to visit more than one park in a year.

Conclusion

To learn more about all the available passes, head over to the National Parks website for all the details on various passes.

With so many opportunities to experience the beauty and wonder of our National Parks, there’s no excuse not to start planning your next outdoor adventure. So grab your hiking boots, pack your sense of adventure, and get ready to make memories that will last a lifetime in America’s most treasured natural landscapes. Happy trails!

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One Day in Denver: A Guide to Exploring the Mile High City

One day in Denver? That’s what we turned flight credits into when faced with the need to use them or loose them. I’m really not sure how, but we still had airline credit from a canceled flight way back from 2020. Somehow, a $200 credit kept getting overlooked even though we had taken several flights between then and now. Oh, well. It became an excellent excuse for a last minute adventure.

Why Denver?

This is my 3rd time visiting the Lower Downtown (LoDo) district of Denver. That’s because I find it has a lot to offer within a 30-minute train ride from the airport. Plus flights from Detroit to Denver are usually pretty reasonable, in fact often one of the most inexpensive destinations. So Denver it was. I used points for the hotel, so the only out of pocket costs were for our train ride and food/drink.

Side note: Denver was also my destination of choice last year to utilize a companion certificate before it expired. I turned that into a day trip with a friend. Seems to be plenty of flight deals Detroit to Denver!

Morning Adventures: Exploring Denver’s Highlights

After landing around 9 am, we took the commuter train from the airport to Denver Union Station. This historic train station serves as the transportation hub for the city and is a bustling center of activity. This train ride is only $10 and 30 minutes! No need to prebook, just follow the signs within the airport to the train. Once at the station, you simply buy tickets at the kiosk.

Ballpark Museum at Coors Field

Our first stop was the Ballpark Museum, located kitty corner to Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. Recognized by Smithsonian Books as one of the top 20 finest private baseball collections in the world, this museum boasts an impressive collection of one-of-a-kind treasures. It’s the only museum dedicated to ballparks and includes artifacts from the original 14 classic ballparks. A fun fact is that the collection includes seats from each of those ballparks.

The Ballpark Museum is a true gem in the heart of Denver. Perfect for baseball fans of all ages. It’s fascinating to learn how Curator, Founder, and President Bruce “B” Hellerstein went from collecting baseball cards and displaying his a personal collection of memorabilia in his basement to creating his own full fledged museum showcasing his now expansive personal collection.

Lunch at Denver ChopHouse

After working up an appetite at the museum, it was time for lunch at Denver ChopHouse. This is a classic steakhouse and brewery located within walking distance of Union Station and the ballpark. Known for its delicious cuts of meat and cozy atmosphere, this restaurant is the perfect spot to refuel before continuing your Denver adventures. The building that houses Denver ChopHouse dates back to the late 19th century. It was once home to the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, a prominent coal supplier during Denver’s early days.

Afternoon Delights: Craft Brews and Sweet Treats

With our hunger satisfied, we set out to explore more of the vibrant LoDo district. Our next stop was Wynkoop Brewing Company, one of Denver’s oldest and most beloved craft breweries. It was founded in 1988 by former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who went on to become the Governor of Colorado. Wynkoop Brewing Company is housed in a historic warehouse building and offers a wide selection of handcrafted beers. The brewery played a pivotal role in revitalizing the LoDo neighborhood and is credited with sparking the city’s craft beer renaissance.

Sweet Treats at Dairy Block

After enjoying some hoppy delights, we found ourselves craving something sweet. We made our way to Dairy Block, a charming micro-district in LoDo known for its unique shops, restaurants, and art installations. Here, we indulged in some delicious ice cream from Milk Market, a food hall featuring a variety of culinary delights. The history of Dairy Block dates back to the late 19th century when it was home to Windsor Dairy, one of Denver’s largest dairy operations. Today, the block is a vibrant destination for food, shopping, and entertainment.

Afternoon Explorations: RiNo Art District

After taking a quick intermission to check into our hotel, we decided to venture beyond LoDo to explore the RiNo Art District, a thriving hub of creativity and culture. We visited a couple of the district’s renowned breweries, including Odell Brewing Company, where we sampled some of their award-winning craft beers. Founded in 1989 in Fort Collins, Odell Brewing Company is known for its innovative brewing techniques and commitment to sustainability. The RiNo Art District is known for its vibrant street art scene and eclectic mix of galleries, studios, and creative spaces. The district’s name, RiNo, stands for River North and pays homage to its location north of the South Platte River.

Dinner at Blue Agave Grill

After working up an appetite with our brewery hop, we headed back downtown for dinner at Blue Agave Grill. This lively restaurant specializes in contemporary Southwestern cuisine and offers a mouthwatering selection of tacos, enchiladas, and margaritas. We opted for burritos and they were so delicious and filling. Located in the historic Granite Building, Blue Agave Grill is known for its vibrant atmosphere and flavorful dishes. The Granite Building, constructed in 1890, is one of Denver’s oldest commercial buildings and has been lovingly restored to its former glory.

A Memorable Day in the Mile High City

As the night wore on and our bellies were full, we made our way back to our hotel to get cozy and watch some play off football. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo Denver Downtown – Union Station. It is a stylish boutique hotel. I selected it for its super convenient location next to Union Station. Since we needed to catch the first train out for Union Station in the morning (3am), location was key to make that as easy as possible.

Yes, waking up early to catch the 3 am train back to the airport was a bit of a struggle, but we managed to fuel up with breakfast at the Skyclub before boarding our 6 am flight home.

In just one day, we experienced quite a good mix of what Denver has to offer – from historic buildings and craft breweries to delicious dining and vibrant neighborhoods. Let me suggest that whether you’re planning a quick getaway or a longer stay, the Mile High City has something for everyone to enjoy.

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My Kid Loves Lighthouses and I Hate Heights

michigan lighthouse

I’ve never been too comfortable with heights, at least not when my stability is relying on my own two feet.  Strap me into a roller coaster and although there’s rising unease as it accessed, I’m “OK”.  But put me near the railing of a balcony more that two stories up and I’m crazy uncomfortable.  Like literally saying out loud on repeat, “I don’t like this, I don’t like this…”

That’s exactly what I said all the way up the 85 steps of the open grate spiral stairway of the Tawas Point Lighthouse in the summer of 2011, during my first time climbing a light house.  I’m always looking for new adventures, even in the most familiar of places.  You see, this lighthouse is only about 30 miles from our family cottage in northern Michigan.  I’ve spent time in Tawas every summer of my life.  But I had not recalled ever visiting the lighthouse, though, something in me recalled there being one.  I had wondered if my memory served me correctly and then I further wondered if it was open to visit.  So I turned to Google.  Yes, there was a lighthouse.  And yes, you could visit it.  Not only could you visit, you could climb the tower.  This was all new to me, so with much excitement that I found something new for the kids and I to do, we set off to East Tawas on an afternoon drive to see a lighthouse.

I had no idea at the time that we set out on that adventure how significant and transforming that day’s excursion would be to a little boy.

 We arrived at Tawas Point State Park that afternoon and headed straight for the little gift shop building located next to the lighthouse to buy our tickets to climb the tower.  How exciting this would be….

We toured the keepers house, which is attached to the tower, decorated in period affects and then we headed towards the door to the tower.  And that’s when I caught my first glimpse of the inside of a lighthouse tower  as I looked up at the spiral stairway that stretched beyond my view.  Here I stood with my fear of heights starting to kick into full gear and a 4 year old and a 2 year old by my side, anxious to race up to the top of this thing.  

URGH!!  What did I get myself into?  With my son taking the lead and my over-protective-mom self taking up the rear, we started to climb.  I just gripped the handrail so tightly, pleading with my children to do the same.  I kept staring straight ahead and upward.  “Don’t look down, don’t look down…” was a repeating chant going through my head.

As our elevation increased, the distance between the walls decreased as if they were closing in on us.  Until finally we reached the top where we stuffed ourselves into a small little room surrounded by windows to take in the view across Tawas Bay on Lake Huron.  My boy was ecstatic!  He was so fascinated with every part of this experience from the architecture, the mechanicals, and the panoramic view.

Once we made the anxiety filled decent and returned to the ground, he was already so excited and anxious to do it again.  He wanted to bring everyone back to climb that tower….dad, grandma, grandpa, friends…everyone.  They simply had to see and do what he just did.

And so it began…this kid’s fascination and love for lighthouses.

And with that, this mom has been forced to repeatedly get out of her comfort zone, to facilitate and feed that kid’s interest in them.  In the 7 years since, I have now climbed more towers than I’ve been able to count, and that includes walking out on the balconies of many.  The fear is still very much within me, but I push through it time and time again for him.  It’s amazing the things that we will do and the fears that we will face for the love of a child.  

Have your kids pushed you to do things you wouldn’t do otherwise?  Comment and share your story below. 

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The Night My Gut Led Us To Sleeping In A Walmart Parking Lot

Sometimes, you can put all kinds of time and effort into planning trips, but when it comes time to executing the plan, things don’t always run according to plan.  Sometimes, we have to go along with what feels right and improvise.  Though my kids lived this story and they sometimes hear me retell it, I’m writing it down for the long term, so that they always remember…sometimes you have to listen to and trust your gut.  

It was our family summer road trip in 2017.  We were headed from Michigan to Arizona and back, in a two week time frame.  Our route was carefully planned out in order to see some key sites and check some states off of the 50 states goal for the kids.

We were on day 3 of our annual adventure.  We had just stayed 2 nights near Branson, MO.  We got off to an early start that morning in order to travel an hour and a half, down to the Ranger boat factory in Flipping, AK for the first tour of the day.  From there we had a seven hour drive to our next destination for the night.  Of course we stopped for food, sites and refueling along the way, so we didn’t roll into our campground until right as the sun was going down.

As we pulled in, a young man was just locking up the office and heading home for the night.  He took the time to greet us, give us a map and said “It’s pretty empty, so just pick out whatever spot you’d like”.  Then he jumped in his car and drove away.

There was quite a decent downhill to reach the campsites and as the campground came into view under the quickly disappearing light of dusk, it was quickly becoming confusingly apparent that it wasn’t “pretty empty”…it was completely vacant.  We drove by a pool…it was drained with a sign that said “closed for the season”.  There was what looked like a host site camper set up, but it didn’t appear that anyone was occupying it.

We continued to drive looking for signs of people…anyone.  It was the middle of summer…where was everyone?!?  People said we were crazy doing a road trip to the Southwest in the middle of summer.  But I didn’t expect that we were the only crazy ones.  This was a beautiful state park…where were the people?  

We drove every loop of the campground and FINALLY, we found one campsite occupied.  At this point my husband and I both were feeling rather uneasy.  It was also completely dark by this time.  But we were exhausted, especially my husband, who had done all the driving.  I felt like we were falling into a script of a scary movie.  But he said, “Let’s just back in, a couple sites down from these other people.  We’ll leave the camper hooked to the truck and just get a few hours sleep.”

I reluctantly agreed, I surely couldn’t ask him to keep driving any further, especially in the dark and already overtired.  So, I hopped out of the truck with a flashlight to help light and guide his parking.  And just then, we all heard the screaming of motorcycles, not the Harley type…and lots of them…and they were getting louder, meaning they were getting closer.  Then we saw their headlights approach and got a glimpse of them through the trees, racing by in a big pack on the main inlet road.  Then they disappeared from sight.  

At this point, I’m standing at the side of the truck looking at my husband with such unease, like “seriously, could this get any more creepy?  But lets get this thing parked, you get some sleep (there’s no way, I’ll be able to) and get the heck out of here way early in the morning”. 

Then, the sounds of the motorcycles got louder again, but this time, the sounds were spread and then we saw the headlights…split…coming down each and every loop and road of the park.  One coming straight towards us. And here I stood outside, in the dark with a flashlight like a target.  I was terrified.  What the heck was going on?  Are they scoping things out?  And they obviously can see we are loners down here with a truck and a camper full of belonging in this isolated location.

And as that bike approached us, he came into the truck’s headlights.  I could clearly see his face and his eyes.  And that was it. What I saw gave me full clarity, I didn’t care where we had to go, or how far we had to drive, we were absolutely not going to be there if and when they came back.

I jumped into the truck and told my husband with fire in my eyes to drive.  Get us out of this place NOW.  At this point, he felt it as well.  And he drove.

Although I offered to drive, he drove.  Drove several more hours to Amarillo, TX.  Where we pulled into a Walmart parking lot at 2am, crawled into the camper and slept till 7.  

Who knows how the night would have played out had we stayed.  Everything could have been an over reaction.  It could have been a stack up of unusually circumstances.  But I didn’t need to find out.  I didn’t need to test my gut, I needed to trust it.

Have you ever found yourself in a trust your gut situation while traveling?  Please comment to share your story below.

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