Park life: More people are visiting US National Parks

Park life: More people are visiting US National Parks

9/21/23 8:00PM

Parks

‍Running dry on wholesome activity inspiration for the weekend? Tomorrow is the 30th annual National Public Lands Day, one of 5 days in 2023 when the National Park Service (NPS) offers free admission to its 400+ sites.

Usually, 109 NPS sites charge for admission, including iconic and ever-popular beauty spots like Yosemite and Yellowstone, as well as the Grand Canyon National Park, all of which usually require visitors to hand over $20 per person.

‍Recreation

‍All told, the NPS operates some 425 locations across the US, including 31 memorials, 84 monuments, and 11 historic battlefields. However, the true gems in the NPS collection are its 63 prestigious national parks — “larger, physical areas” that visitors have been making the most of more and more in recent years.

In 2022, more than 88 million people embarked on journeys to these natural wonders, just slightly fewer than the record-breaking 92 million who seized the opportunity to explore their homeland's national parks in 2021, when international travel was still constrained.

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