FREE ADMISSION TO NATIONAL PARKS 8/25–8/28
Our National Parks Service doesn’t celebrate its birthday like most people. In honor of turning 100 years old in 2016, the National Parks Service is throwing itself a 16-day birthday bash spread across the calendar. Very ambitious for a centenarian. As a curator of cool gifts for men, we’re all about a good birthday party. So we’ve got the inside scoop on this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
The soiree hit full stride during National Park Week in April. But good news: Soon it’ll be back on ‘til the break of dawn. Well, technically, until a given park closes. Please observe posted hours of operation. From Thursday, 8/25, through Sunday, 8/28, you can take advantage of free entry to National Parks. It’s going to be even better than pulling into a metered parking space after 8 p.m. or on a Sunday or holiday.
So now that you know the “when,” you just need to plan the “where.” There are more than 400 parks open to everyone across the country. Of those, 124 parks with daily admission fees are waiving the cover charge. It’s the perfect chance to return to one of your favorite sites or discover a new one. In case you can’t decide and you’re a fan of last-minute travel, here’s the list of parks that normally charge a fee.
Alaska
Denali National Park & Preserve
Arizona
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Grand Canyon National Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Petrified Forest National Park
Pipe Spring National Monument
Saguaro National Park
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Tonto National Monument
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Tuzigoot National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Arkansas
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Pea Ridge National Military Park
California
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area – Whiskeytown, CA
Admittedly, we saw whiskey in the name and we got a little excited. There’s actually a lot to get excited about at this majestic 39,000-acre lakeside area just outside of Redding. The big draw to this crystal-clear lake is the boating and water-based recreation activities. Rich in history from the California Gold Rush, Whiskeytown is also home to four waterfalls and 70 miles of hiking trails.
All that hiking and boating will make you hungrier than a grizzly bear after awakening from hibernation. If you’re camping, we have just the thing for the ultimate lakeside dining experience. The Dutch Oven Kit turns standard campfire cooking into gourmet greatness.
Cabrillo National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lava Beds National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Pinnacles National Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Yosemite National Park
Colorado
Dinosaur National Monument – Dinosaur, CO
You could go to Mount Rushmore and see the faces of four of America’s finest presidents chiseled into the side of a mountain. It’s the inspiration for our very own Mount Rubsmore meat rubs. But if you want to see impressive figures from prehistoric times naturally embedded in rock, aptly named Dinosaur National Monument is a must-see. Surrounded by mountains, deserts and raging rivers, this park will make you feel like you’re on the set of an Indiana Jones flick.
The rugged adventurer shan’t brave the land of the lost without the proper gear. The Outdoor Survival Crate won’t let him down.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Mesa Verde National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Florida
Canaveral National Seashore
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Georgia
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Hawai'i
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – Hawai’i National Park, HI
Remember when Earth was just one massive super continent? We don’t either. But if you ever need a molten-hot reminder of what our planet is made of, check out this Hawai’ian marvel. Seeing the sheer power of a volcanic eruption in person is breathtaking, jaw dropping and mind blowing all at once.
Haleakalā National Park
Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
Yellowstone National Park
Indiana
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial – Lincoln City, IN
From humble beginnings came one our nation’s greatest leaders. “There I grew up,” Lincoln said of his Southern Indiana homestead. Spend a day getting to know the boyhood tales of the man that would one day adorn the penny and chillax in that giant comfy-looking cement chair in Washington.
This is quite possibly where Abe first started growing his trademark beard. The Beard Wrangler Mini Crate would’ve come in handy.
Maine
Acadia National Park
Maryland
Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Fort Washington Park
Harper's Ferry National Historical Park
Massachusetts
Adams National Historical Park
Cape Cod National Seashore
Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Minnesota
Pipestone National Monument
Mississippi
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Vicksburg National Military Park
Missouri
Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Montana
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Glacier National Park
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Yellowstone National Park
Nebraska
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Nevada
Death Valley National Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
New Hampshire
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
New Jersey
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park
New Mexico
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
White Sands National Monument
Valles Caldera National Preserve
New York
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
Saratoga National Historical Park
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
North Carolina
Wright Brothers National Memorial
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Ohio
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
Oklahoma
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Oregon
Crater Lake National Park
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Pennsylvania
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Steamtown National Historic Site
Puerto Rico
San Juan National Historic Site
South Carolina
Fort Sumter National Monument
South Dakota
Badlands National Park
Jewel Cave National Monument
Tennessee
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Texas
Big Bend National Park
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Padre Island National Seashore
Utah
Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Natural Bridges National Monument
Zion National Park
Virgin Islands
Christiansted National Historic Site
Virginia
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Assateague Island National Seashore
Colonial National Historical Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway's Great Falls Park
Prince William Forest Park
Shenandoah National Park
Washington
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park
West Virginia
Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park – Harper’s Ferry, WV
Where the Potomac River meets the Shenandoah, you’ll find the hidden treasure of Harper’s Ferry. You’ll feel like you just stepped out of a DeLorean set to 1859 when you arrive at this historic community that was the site of an critical raid leading up to the Civil War. If you hike the serene trails, explore the battlefields and check out the museums, it will be money well spent. Except you won’t have to spend any money.
Wyoming
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Devils Tower National Monument
Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park – Yellowstone National Park, WY
Yellowstone may be most recognized for Old Faithful, the geyser that
shoots water sky high. This geological hotbed also features an array of
other geysers, hot springs, mud pots and steam vents. While tourists
“ooh” and “aah” at Mother Nature’s water show, keen fisherman are taking
to the many lakes, stream, rivers to hook the much sought-after
cutthroat trout. The park’s riverbanks are home to a large insect
population, which attracts the trout, which, in turn, attracts
fly-fishermen—and grizzly bears. Try not to let any bears in neckties
pilfer your pic-a-nic basket.
Experienced
fisherman may veer off the beaten path in search of relatively unfished
waters. But they don’t have to search hard to find the perfect gear. The Troutdoorsman Crate
comes with a Berkley Canvas Creel, a Kershaw Folding Filet Knife and
Grandpa’s Grill Holder and other items to help them catch and cook like a
pro.
There’s only thing better than enjoying the splendor and natural beauty of America’s National Parks in the summertime: Getting in for free. So get out to a park near you 8/25-8/28 and wish it a Happy Birthday.
