You are invited to start your new year with a free visit to a national park! Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and all of the other 396 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. You can literally walk in Dr. King's footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC - just a few of the many national parks that have direct ties to Dr. King or the Civil Rights movement.
"Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "Dr. King's story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened. I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand."
There's something for everyone at a national park, even in the middle of winter. National park adventures include snowshoe hikes, canoe trips, campfire programs, film festivals, battle reenactments, and music jams. At Whiskeytown this a wonderful time to view migratory birds, visits the park's four waterfalls, enjoy the peace and solitude of winter, or hit the trails with your boots, mountain bike, or horse. A list of activities within your national parks can be found at www.nps.gov.
In addition, during this fee-free period Western National Parks Association is offering a 15% off sale on all bookstore merchandise at the Whiskeytown Visitor Center. The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012 - National Park Week (April 21 to 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10 to 12). For more information on Whiskeytown, please stop by the visitor center daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or call (530) 246-1225. You can also visit the park website at www.nps.gov/whis
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
