Free Access At State, National Parks And Lands Coming Veterans Day

There'll be free access to state and national recreation sites in Washington on Veteran's Day next month – Friday November 11. 

Admission fees at state and national parks will be dropped for the day as will fees at day-use recreation sites at national forests. 

Robin DeMario with the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest says recreational activities on Veteran's Day vary from year to year. 

"Ya know, it all depends on what the weather is doing that week," said DeMario. "Whether folks will be enticed to get out if the weather is lovely and there's still some fall colors to look at. If there's snow, they may want to get out and play in the first bit of snow. So, it's all basically weather dependent." 

In Washington, fees are waived to all parks and recreation sites managed by the departments of Fish & Wildlife and Natural Resources as well as the State Parks and Recreation Commission.  

Anyone can visit the 6.7 million acres of state recreation land without paying, which is a $20 savings in parking fees.   

State law allows state parks to designate 12 days each year when a Discover Pass is not required for parking in the state’s 170 park and recreation properties. 

The arrangement for land managed from the national level includes free admission for the use of facilities and services at many day-use sites on US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. 

DeMario says the free access doesn't cover every activity in the national forest. 

"The fee waiver includes many forest service picnic areas, boat launches, trail heads and visitor centers," DeMario said. "But keep in mind fees for camping, cabin rentals or other permits still apply." 

Admission will be free on Veterans Day in Washington at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park. 

After Veterans Day, the next fee-free day on national lands in Washington will be Marin Luther King Jr. Day in January, while state parks and recreation areas will waive fees on Autumn Day, which is the day after Thanksgiving.