National Public Lands Day

Today is National Public Lands Day, which means there it is a fee-free entrance day at many federal public lands including national parks. It's a great opportunity to help a local or favorite public land near you and spend the rest of the day recreating or relaxing on the land. With free admission, feel free to bring a friend or make it a family outing, and enjoy the experience. For local Southern California hikers it means you do not need an adventure pass for the local Cleveland National Forest, Angeles National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, or the Los Padres National Forest.

National Public Lands Day also partners with five federal land management agencies to provide a special thank-you to their volunteers. Each volunteer who participates in National Public Lands Day at Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or U.S. Forest Service public lands may receive a fee-free coupon.

Fee-Free Coupons for Volunteers. A fee-free coupon provides the volunteer one day of free entry to any participating federal public land, no matter the agency. For example, if you volunteer at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge on National Public Lands Day and receive a coupon, you could use it for free entry into Saguaro National Park the following May!

Each fee-free coupon is good for one day of entrance fees or day use fees until Saturday, September 28, 2013. At some public lands, this can include accompanying passengers in a car. The coupons cannot be used for parking, camping, tours or concessions.

Federal public land sites interested in the fee-free coupon program for their volunteers need to register for National Public Lands Day by checking the eligibility box during our online registration process. Participation in the program and the distribution of the coupons is determined by the event manager.