America’s Best Idea — our national parks — is even better when admission is free. On Veterans Day, November 11, pack up the car for a trip to discover the state’s beauty. A few of Florida’s national treasures are just short drive away from Orlando.
Entry fees to United States national parks, including five in Florida, will be waived for this special holiday.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine
During the fee-free days, the parks waive entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservations, camping, tours, concessions and fees collected by third parties are not included in this promotion.
In Florida, the national parks that offer free admission on national park free days are:
- Canaveral National Seashore (one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida)
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, in St. Augustine
- Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles west of Key West
- Gulf Islands National Seashore, at the Mississippi-Florida border
- Everglades National Park, south of Miami
Big Cypress National Preserve
Florida’s national parks that are always free:
- Big Cypress National Preserve, Ochopee
- Biscayne National Park, Miami (free for day use)
- De Soto National Memorial, Bradenton
- Fort Caroline National Memorial and the Timucuan Preserve, Jacksonville
- Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Augustine (stop at Fort Matanzas Visitor Center for a free ferry pass)
- Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, stretching from North Carolina to Jacksonville
- Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Jacksonville
Free days for the National Parks happen every year. Keep an eye out for 2019 free days. Here are the days the park system opened the gates for free in 2018:
- January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 21: First day of National Park Week
- September 22: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Find a Park by going to the National Park Service website and using the search tool or interactive map. You can search for parks in your state or parks that feature activities you like, such as camping, fishing or hiking, as well as educational programs and historic sites.
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