Sep 25, 2024 - News

Free entry to national parks this weekend

Christine Clarridge

A river runs between mountains with puffy clouds in the sky. — Aerial view of Olympic National Park. Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entry to all national parks and monuments Saturday.

Why it matters: Our national parks are home to some of the most breathtaking trails and natural marvels, as well as one of the largest temperate rain forests in the U.S.

The big picture: Washington has three national parks: Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades.

Olympic and Mount Rainier each draw around 2.5 million visitors annually, while North Cascades logged just 30,000 visitors in 2022 and was listed by Outside Magazine as one of the nation's most underrated parks.

The intrigue: The tiny, indoor Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in downtown Seattle is also a national historical park.

Zoom out: Up for a bit of a longer drive? You can also hit Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

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Free entry to national parks this weekend

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