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Friday, August 25, 2017

FREE Admission to The National Parks 2017

FREE Admission to The National Parks 2017 

It is the 101st birthday of the National Park Service Today! Admission fees are waived throughout all of the 417 parks across the country! 
 
Special Events and Free Admission
With 417 parks across the country, plus national trails, rivers, heritage areas, and more, there are countless ways to celebrate the 101st birthday of the National Park Service. Many parks and programs are planning special events, including:

 
Park entrance fees will be waived nationwide on August 25 to encourage everyone to celebrate the NPS 101st birthday. Usually, 118 of the 417 national parks charge entrance fees that range from $3 to $30.The entrance fee waiver does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.


Mark your calendar for more entrance fee–free dates in 2017:
  • September 30: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend




Look at all the Parks in AZ:
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Canyon De Chelly

    Chinle, AZ

    For nearly 5,000 years, people have lived in these canyons - longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. In the place called Tseyi, their homes and images tell us their stories. Today, Navajo families make their homes, raise livestock, and farm the lands in these canyons. The National Park Service and Navajo Nation actively work together to manage park resources.
    Farming in the canyon
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Casa Grande Ruins

    Coolidge, AZ

    Explore the mystery and complexity of an extended network of communities and irrigation canals. An Ancient Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether the Casa Grande was a gathering place for the Desert People or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of canals and trading partners is but part of the mystique of the Ruins
    The Great House at Casa Grande Ruins stands out for miles
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Chiricahua

    Willcox, AZ

    A "Wonderland of Rocks" is waiting for you to explore at Chiricahua National Monument. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17-miles of day-use hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 11,985 acre site. Visit the Faraway Ranch Historic District to discover more about the people who have called this area home.
    Standing rock formations with conifer trees
  • NATIONAL MEMORIAL

    Coronado

    Hereford, AZ

    It was a journey of conquest, filled with exploration, wonder - and cruelty. Inspired by tales of vast cities of gold, 339 European soldiers and over 1000 Aztec allies embarked on an epic journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains. They brought rich traditions and new technology into the region, irrevocably changing the lives of native peoples and continuing to influence the area today.
    San Pedro River Valley from Montezuma Peak - D. Bly
  • NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

    Fort Bowie

    Willcox, AZ

    Fort Bowie commemorates the bitter conflict between Chiricahua Apaches and the U.S. military - a lasting monument to the bravery and endurance of U.S. soldiers in paving the way for settlement and the taming of the western frontier. It provides insight into a "clash of cultures," a young nation in pursuit of "manifest destiny," and the hunter/gatherer society fighting to preserve its existence.
    A rusted bell and costumed cavalry riders in the background
  • NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

    Glen Canyon

    Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ,UT

    Encompassing over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based & backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history.
    From Alstrom Point you can see Gunsight Butte, Padre Bay, and Navajo Mountain
  • NATIONAL PARK

    Grand Canyon

    Grand Canyon, AZ

    Unique combinations of geologic color and erosional forms decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size All South Rim roads are open. The North Rim is open for the season.
    View of Grand Canyon National Park at sunset from the South Rim
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Hohokam Pima

    Coolidge, AZ

    The "Monument" is located on the Gila River Indian Reservation and is under tribal ownership. The Gila River Indian Community has decided not to open the extremely sensitive area to the public. There is no park brochure, passport stamp, picture stamp or other free literature available.
  • NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

    Hubbell Trading Post

    Ganado, AZ

    The squeaky wooden floor greets your entry into the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. When your eyes adjust to the dim light in the "bullpen" you find you’ve just entered a mercantile. Hubbell's has been serving Ganado selling groceries, grain, hardware, horse tack, coffee and Native American Art since 1878. Discover Hubbell Trading Post NHS, where history is made every day.
    Hubbell outbuildings in fresh winter snow
  • NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

    Juan Bautista de Anza

    Nogales, AZ to San Francisco, CA, AZ,CA

    "¡Vayan Subiendo!"("Everyone mount up!") was the rousing call from Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1775-76, Anza led some 240 men, women, and children on an epic journey to establish the first non-Native settlement at San Francisco Bay. Today, the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Are
    Amigos de Anza 2015
  • NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

    Lake Mead

    the Mojave Desert, AZ,NV

    Lake Mead NRA offers year-round recreational opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, photography, picnicking and sightseeing. It is also home to thousands of desert plants and animals, adapted to survive where rain is scarce and temperatures can soar.
    Sunset at Lake Mead's Boulder Basin
  • Montezuma Castle

    Camp Verde, AZ

    Today we gaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape. Come marvel at this enduring legacy of the Sinagua culture and reveal a people surprisingly similar to ourselves.
    Montezuma Castle's prehistoric dwelling
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Navajo

    Black Mesa, AZ

    The prehistoric Puebloan Ancestors built Tsegi Phase villages within the natural sandstone alcoves of our canyons. The resilient Ancestral Puebloans paved the way for current Native American groups in the Southwest region. These villages, which date from AD 1250 to 1300, thrill all who visit with original architectural elements such as roof beams, masonary walls, rock art, and hand and foot holds.
    Betatakin
  • NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

    Old Spanish

    AZ,CA,CO,NV,NM,UT

    Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.
    Red Rock Country, pack mules, Gunnison River
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Organ Pipe Cactus

    Ajo, AZ

    Look closely. Look again. The sights and sounds of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an International Biosphere Reserve, reveal a thriving community of plants and animals. Human stories echo throughout this desert preserve, chronicling thousands of years of desert living. A scenic drive, wilderness hike or a night of camping will expose you to a living desert that thrives.
    scenic view from the Ajo Mountrain Drive
  • GRAND CANYON-PARASHANT NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Parashant

    Northern Arizona, AZ

    Parashant provides a sense of solitude to those who venture into its isolated domain. The Monument's expansive landscape encompasses a chronicle of natural and cultural history that is just waiting to be discovered. For those prepared and equipped to explore the largely undeveloped landscape, a trip into the Parashant is a journey into the wild.
    Red Pockets
  • NATIONAL PARK

    Petrified Forest

    Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

    Did you know that Petrified Forest is more spectacular than ever? While the park has all the wonders known for a century, there are many new adventures and discoveries to share. There are backcountry hikes into areas never open before such as Red Basin and little known areas like the Martha's Butte. There are new exhibits that bring the stories to life. Come rediscover Petrified Forest!
    Jasper Forest is magical in twilight, particularly the logs on stone pedestals
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Pipe Spring

    Fredonia, AZ

    American Indians, Mormon ranchers, plants, animals, and many others have depended on the life-giving water found in the beautiful desert oasis at Pipe Spring. Learn about pioneer and Kaibab Paiute life by exploring the museum, historic fort and cabins, garden, orchard, and Ridge Trail. Visit with rangers and ranch animals, and attend living history demonstrations and talks.
    Pipe Spring National Monument
  • NATIONAL PARK

    Saguaro

    Tucson, AZ

    Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.
    Saguaro Blooms Upclose
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Sunset Crater Volcano

    Flagstaff, AZ

    Sunset Crater Volcano! Roughly 900 years ago, the eruption of this volcano reshaped the surrounding landscape, forever changing the lives of people, plants and animals. Hike the trail through the lava flow and cinders and you’ll likely discover colorful, ruggedly dramatic geological features coexisting with twisted Ponderosa Pines and an amazing array of wildlife.
    Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Tonto

    Roosevelt, AZ

    The Salado Phenomena, 700 years ago, blended ideas of neighboring Native American cultures to emerge a unique and vibrant society. Tonto National Monument showcases two Salado-style cliff dwellings. Colorful pottery, woven cotton cloth, and other artifacts tell a story of people living and using resources from the northern Sonoran Desert from 1250 to 1450 CE.
    Lower Cliff Dwelling
  • NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

    Tumacácori

    Tumacácori, AZ

    Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in cooperation. Follow the timeworn paths and discover stories that connect us to enduring relationships, vibrant cultures, and traditions of long ago.
    Sunlight illuminates the top of historic Mission San José de Tumacácori church.
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Tuzigoot

    Clarkdale, AZ

    Crowning a desert hilltop is an ancient pueblo. A child scans the desert landscape for the arrival of traders. What riches will they bring? What stories will they tell? From the rooftop of the Tuzigoot pueblo it is easy to imagine such a moment. The pueblo shows us this ancient village built by the Sinagua people. They were farmers and artists with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles.
    A storm gathers behind the pueblo at Tuzigoot
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Walnut Canyon

    Flagstaff, AZ

    Come gaze across curved canyon walls! Among the remarkable geological formations of the canyon itself, the former homes of ancient inhabitants are easily evident. Along the trails you can imagine life within Walnut Canyon, while visiting actual pueblos and walking in the steps of those who came before.
    View of Cliff Dwellings from the Island Trail
  • NATIONAL MONUMENT

    Wupatki

    Flagstaff, AZ

    Nestled between the Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona, Wupatki is a landscape of legacies. Ancient pueblos dot red-rock outcroppings across miles of prairie. Where food and water seem impossible to find, people built pueblos, raised families, farmed, traded, and thrived. Today, if you linger and listen, earth and artifacts whisper their stories to us still.

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