Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi, the site of a decisive Civil War battle that determined the outcome of the war, will begin selling digital (cashless) entrance passes beginning on Oct. 3.
An entrance pass or annual pass to the historic park will be available for purchase on the website recreation.gov.
“Recreation.gov will provide park visitors more flexibility to purchase passes when it’s convenient to them,” Carrie Mardorf, acting superintendent of the Vicksburg National Military Park, said on the park’s website. “Going cashless will help limit wait time for visitors upon entry and enhance stewardship of park funds.”
Located on a bluff above the Mississippi River, the capture of the city of Vicksburg in 1863 by forces of the Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant split the Confederacy in two and led to the defeat of Southern armies in 1865.
In other park news, on Oct. 2 between 8 a.m. and noon, officials of the Vicksburg Park and the National Park Service have scheduled an annual National Public Lands Day in which members of the public are invited to come out and help clean the gravestones of Civil War veterans.
A report in the Vicksburg Post said entrance fees are waived for National Public Lands Day, a national observance intended to restore and improve historic sites around the country.
A Facebook post added that because of the COVID-19 epidemic, masks must be worn and visitors must pre-register online. The number of participants is limited. Forms can be filled out by going to https://forms.offic.com/g/ezVsjl57Fr.
Lunch for the headstone cleaning event will be provided by the park’s nonprofit organization, the Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign.
The Vicksburg Park website said the move to make entrance fees available by the internet and a “cashless” transaction would help park officials to streamline the fee collection process for visitors and park officials, as well as help track and target inconsistencies in fee collection more easily than using the traditional (cash) method.
Cashless means the park will accept contact-free payment (Apple or Google pay) on the web. Cash and checks will not be accepted.
