ST. GEORGE — Tomorrow is one of several freebie days when national parks offer visitors free entrance. Southern Utahns may not realize that besides the ole standards, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, many lesser-known, nearby recreation areas and national monuments are also free on these these days.
Here are some sweet spots that are closer than you realize and also free tomorrow.
| Participating fee-free day areas | Description | Distance from St. George | Typical cost |
| Pipe Springs National Monument, Ariz. | Historic forts, cabins and trails surrounding a desert spring which has been giving life to Native Americans and Pioneers for decades | 1 hour, 6 mins | $5 per person for 7-day pass. |
| Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah | Natural half-mile deep orange amphitheater amidst subalpine pine and cedar forests | 1 hour, 25 mins | $4 per person for 7-day pass |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nev. | Vast Mohave desert wilderness on the south end of the Grand Canyon which includes the Hoover dam and Lake Mead | 2 hours, 14 mins | $5 per person for 7-day pass or $10 per vehicle |
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Ariz. | Encompassing Lake Powell’s 1.2 million acres of orange sandstone canyons and backcountry | 3 hours, 36 mins | $7 per person for 7-day pass or $15 per vehicle |
| Capitol Reef National Park, Utah | South-central Utah’s 100-mile long, geologic wrinkle in the earth filled with natural bridges, canyons, and domes. | 3 hours, 44 mins | $3 per person for 7-day pass or $5 per vehicle |
| Death Valley National Park, Nev./Calif. | Hottest, driest and lowest national park in the nation | 3 hours, 48 mins | $10 per person for 7-day pass or $20 per vehicle. |
Resources
Click here for a list of all participating fee-free day areas.
2014 Fee-free day schedule:
- Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Feb. 15-17: Presidents Day weekend
- April 19-20: opening weekend of National Park Week
- Aug. 25: National Park Service Birthday
- Sept. 27: National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Note: Many national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests and other federal lands don’t require a fee in the first place. The list above includes only those places – relatively close to or within Southern Utah – that typically charge a fee. Also, this fee-free day does not include state parks or state lands that typically charge an entrance fee.
Related Posts
- National Park Service announces 2014 schedule for fee-free days
- Special annual pass offered for some of Utah’s national parks
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