National parks offering free admission on September 22
Aerial view of Fort Jefferson (looking east) at Dry Tortugas National Park. (Courtesy: National Park Service)
The National Park Service is celebrating the 25th anniversary of National Public Lands Day by offering free admission to parks across the country.
Visitors will be able to visit any federally-managed site this Saturday, September 22. The free entrance days are only offered four times a year. The other three days are January 15 for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and April 21, which is the first day of National Park Week. The next free admission day will be on November 11 for Veterans Day.
A full list of participating national parks can be found on the National Park Service website. There are five in Florida offering the deal:
Canaveral National Seashore: located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument: located in St. Augustine.
Dry Tortugas National Park: located 70 miles west of Key West. It is accessible only by boat or seaplane.
Everglades National Park: located outside of Miami, and covers thousands of acres throughout Dade, Monroe and Collier counties.
Gulf Islands National Seashore: located in the panhandle, along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi.
Federal officials advise that you check with each park you plan to visit for operation hours and event schedules.