This Monday, January 18th, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is a federal holiday and some people have the day off. If you are looking for something to do, some national parks have waived their entrance fee for that day.

A total of 423 parks within the National Park Service will be waiving entrance fees on Monday as part of an initiative to encourage people to visit the national parks across the country.

Here in Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes will be waiving their entrance fee on Monday. Isle Royale National Park is closed for the season. There are no entrance fees at our state's other National Park Service sites, which include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Keweenaw National Historical Park, and River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Some of the suggested activities at Sleeping Bear Dunes, located in Empire, MI, include sledding the Dune Climb, or cross-country skiing or snowshoeing along the park’s many trails. The park’s Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire remains open daily to offer information on winter activities and seasonal spots to check out within the park.

Monday will be the first of six National Park Service fee-free dates in 2021. The other fee-free dates are Saturday, April 17th (the first day of National Park Week); Wednesday, August 4th (one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act); Wednesday, August 25th (the National Park Service’s birthday); Saturday, September 25th (National Public Lands Day); and Thursday, November 11th (Veterans Day).

The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.

Read more about the fee-free dates on the National Park Service website.

 

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