Nothing
reflects the beauty of the seasons better than a national park. From
snow-capped mountains to glistening streams to hillsides bursting with
color, every time of year at a national park offers something special
and breathtaking to behold.
So,
when to go? If you loathe jam-packed parking lots and crowds, plan your
trip during the early fall or late spring. Summer, which is extremely
popular for family acations, is understandably the busiest time of
year. If you absolutely have to travel during the summer, try to plan
your isit earlier or later in the season to aoid the peak. As for the
serene natural beauty of wintertime, be sure to check ahead to make sure
the park is still open. Some close during winter to accommodate heay
snowfall.
Yet
another beautiful thing about nature? It’s aailable 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, 365 days a year. Natural areas of national parks usually
are, too. In fact, fees are only collected during peak seasons and peak
hours. Historic and information buildings typically run 9-5 hours, and
can ary from park to park and season to season.
In
general, if you don’t have a pass (discussed at length below), access to
most national parks will cost anywhere from $4 to $20 per ehicle. The
price is dependant on the number of days you plan to isit, with some
parks issuing additional fees for camping, picnic areas, hunting
permits, tours and recreational serices.
Park Pass
– If you
plan on isiting one particular park over and over again (a.k.a. you
lie in the area), this is the way to go. Ranging in price from $10 to
$40, this pass gives you “free” admission to a particular park for the
entire calendar year.
National Parks Pass
– Costing
$50, this pass admits you, and any of the passengers in your car (if the
park has a per-ehicle entrance fee), to all National Parks. It does
not, however, cover or reduce fees for camping, parking, touring,
concessions, etc.
Golden Eagle Pass
– For an
added $15, this Pass not only gets you into all of the National Parks,
but also admits you into sites managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Serice, the U.S. Forest Serice and the Bureau of Land Management. To
differentiate from the National Parks Pass, this pass features a nifty
little hologram.
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