National Parks Commemorate Veterans Day with Free Admission and Special Events

WASHINGTON: The National Park Service will honor all military veterans with special events and free entrance to all 401 national parks for everyone during the Veterans Day weekend, November 9 through 11.

“Every national park tells a part of the American story, and many of the parks have a direct connection to those who have served in the military through the years,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “I invite everyone to come to a national park to commemorate Veterans Day, whether it is to learn more about those who have given so much to defend our freedoms or to simply enjoy the beauty and majesty of the land they fought to protect.”  

Hallowed places such as Saratoga, Fort McHenry, Vicksburg and the USS Arizona Memorial are among the 94 National Park Service battlefields, military parks, national cemeteries and military-related historic sites that commemorate the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout our country’s history. Additional national parks preserve American icons like the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and the Liberty Bell which have inspired generations of troops.

“I have been very proud to serve my country as a Marine and now again for the National Park Service,” said Dan Hottle, a combat veteran who is one of thousands of veterans who work for the National Park Service. “Our parks bring out the very best in people from all walks of life, coming together to preserve our most valuable resources for our future generations.” 

Some of the military-related special events taking place during the Veterans Day weekend are:

• The annual illumination of 6,000 gravesites of Union soldiers in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg National Battlefield (Va.)
• Encampments with living history demonstrations at  Colonial National Historical Park (Va.), Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (Fla.) and Kings Mountain National Military Park (S.C.)
• An open house with Cold War veterans at Minute Man Missile National Historic Site (S.D.)
• The program "A Soldier's View of Wars and Trains" with re-enactors, veterans and active duty armed forces members at Steamtown National Historic Site (Penn.)
• A living military timeline that includes 70 reenactors and contemporary soldiers at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (N.C.)
• Military commemorations and an enlistment ceremony for 20 recruits at Valley Forge National Historical Park (Penn.)

 Other family-friendly programs taking place include:

• A beach walk at Padre Island National Seashore (Texas)
• A 19^th century magic show featuring “curious and innocent diversions for parlor and refined gatherings” at Hampton National Historic Site (Md.)
• A sunset stroll at White Sands National Monument (N.M.)
• The “Wish Upon a Star” program at the Rock Creek Park (Washington, D.C.) planetarium
• A tour of the Paramount Ranch movie set at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (Calif.)
• The making of sweet sorghum molasses at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tenn.)

A full list of all National Park Service events can be found at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/event-search.htm
 
The National Park Service also provides active duty members of the military and their dependents with an annual national park pass, an $80 value, at no charge. Permanently disabled veterans can receive a free lifetime pass to all parks. The passes provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other Federal lands – more than 2,000 in all. The passes can be acquired at any national park that charges an entrance fee. Information about all national park passes is available at www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

List of National Parks reopened on temporary basis

 

With Congress deadlocked at the start of a new week, Americans and their visitors are paying the price of the stalemate. RVers and other recreationists have been caught in the cross-fire of warring Congressional factions, as National Parks and other federal lands have been shuttered for the duration of the shutdown.

But other entities are trying to pick up the slack. Many state parks around the country have been doing their best to host campers who've lost reservations. And now others are stepping in to pay the 'financial freight' to reopen, at least on a temporary basis, some of the shuttered federal parks. By way of the courtesy of National Public Radio, here's a list of parks that have been temporarily reopened through the kindness of just plain folks, businesses, and state governments.

• The Statue of Liberty - $369,300 for six days from Oct. 12-17 (New York)
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial - $152,000 for 10 days from Oct. 14-23 (South Dakota)
• Grand Canyon - $651,000 for seven days from Oct. 12-18 (Arizona)
• Rocky Mountain National Park - $362,700 for 10 days from Oct. 11-20 (Colorado)

Several of the nation's "crown jewels" are in Utah. Here's a list of Utah national parks reopened for 10 days from Oct. 11-20, thanks to a donation of $1,665,720.80:

• Arches National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Zion National Park.

Park Service's view of federal shutdown

RVers are among the millions affected by the federal government shutdown. Plenty of opinions are being swapped around campfires and Internet groups. But how does Uncle Sam's 'keepers of the parks' view the matter? A news release from the National Park Service gives a hint of emotion buried in the "facts." Here's the release:


Because of the shutdown of the federal government caused by the lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service has closed all 401 national parks and suspended operation of dozens of community assistance programs.

All park grounds, visitor centers, hotels, campgrounds, and park roads – except for thru ways – are closed. All programs are canceled and permits issued for special events on park grounds nationwide are rescinded.

Park visitors in all overnight campgrounds and lodges have been given until no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, October 3 to make other arrangements and leave the park.
National parks will remain closed until the government reopens.

The National Park System hosts more than 282 million people per year, and more than 715,000 people per day in October. Those visitors spend about $76 million per day in communities near national parks.

Examples of impacts of a shutdown of the National Park Service include:

• 15,000 people a day planning to visit the Statue of Liberty will have their reservations cancelled.
• All mule trips in Grand Canyon National Park, an iconic tradition dating back more than 125 years, will be cancelled.
• More than 7,500 people a day coming to enjoy Old Faithful and the other splendors of Yellowstone National Park will be turned away.
• The cancellation of thousands of interpretive and education programs and special events at parks across the country.
• An October shutdown is costing the National Park Service an estimated $450,000 per day in lost revenue from fees collected at entry stations and fees paid for in-park activities such as cave tours, boat rides and camping.
• The shutdown will affect more than 20,000 National Park Service employees, who are furloughed until an appropriation is passed (3,000 employees continue to work, providing essential services, including security, emergency services and firefighting). Additionally, approximately 25,000 concession employees are employed in national parks during the summer and about half of them are still on the job in early October.

Because it will not be maintained, the National Park Service website will be down for the duration of the shutdown, closing off access to 750,000 web pages about national parks and programs. NPS.gov is used extensively for educational purposes and travel planning by 91 million unique visitors every year.

For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.