This Saturday is National Public Lands Day and to celebrate, the National Parks Service is offering free admission to everyone.
Sept. 23 is one of five days the National Park Service is waiving admission fees in 2023. Three of the days have passed, while the final day is Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
There are more than 400 national parks that are open daily; some are always free to visit but others charge a fee.
"The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee," the NPS said in a statement.
The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.
National Public Lands Day is held annually on the fourth Saturday in September to celebrate the connection between people and green space in their community, inspire environmental stewardship, and encourage use of open space for education, recreation and health benefits.
National Public Lands Day is organized annually and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal agencies. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes - from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces and everything in between.
The National Park Service counted nearly 312 million recreation visits in 2022 -- roughly 15 million (5%) more than in 2021. The top five most visited locations last year were: Blue Ridge Parkway, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gateway National Recreation Area and Lincoln Memorial.