The 2023 Free Entrance Days Begin at the National Parks

WINTER, PEACE, REFLECTION, JOY: Summertime is often cited as the busiest, bustlingest, and so-many-people-iest time of year for our national parks, and with good reason: The sunny months of July and August can truly see throngs of visitors pass through various gates. But wintertime in the glorious natural spaces has its own type of busyness, though this is a go-go-go you can't see. It's when the parks seem roomier, and less trafficky, but the interior worlds of the people calling upon these meadows, campgrounds, river banks, and byways are beautifully busy. The start of a new year is, after all, famous as a period of reflection and inner rumination, so it isn't a surprise that winter is an ideal time to visit your favorite park, or a park you don't know but would like to explore. Once there? Your thoughts, emotions, and aspirations can flower in the solitude as you savor the park's splendor.

FIVE FEE-FREE DAYS... are on the National Park Service's 2023 Free Entrance Day calendar, with the first happening on Monday, Jan. 16. Parks like Yosemite and Joshua Tree will waive entry fees in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, a perfect moment to reflect on the civil rights icon's words, life, and legacy. No reservation will be needed at the park you choose to visit, but due to the storms passing through much of California as the long weekend arrives, you'll want to check the forecast and road conditions before you go. Joining the MLK Day of Service? There are chances to volunteer across the country. Finding another way to pay tribute to Dr. King while calling upon a national park? You can start here to learn more.

THERE ARE MORE FREE ENTRANCE DAYS... soon to come, with the next pay-nothing occasion launching National Park Week in April.