Free Admission to All National Parks on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2014

Date: January 14, 2014
Contact: Tricia Ford , [phone]

You are invited to start your new year with a free visit to a national park! Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and all of the other 401 national park sites across the country will offer free admission on Monday, January 20 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial officially opened on the National Mall. You can literally walk in Dr. King's footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC – just a few of the many national parks that have direct ties to Dr. King or the Civil Rights movement.

"Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.  "Dr. King's story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened. I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand."

There's something for everyone at a national park, even in the middle of winter. National park adventures include snowshoe hikes, canoe trips, campfire programs, film festivals, battle reenactments, and music jams. At Whiskeytown this a wonderful time to view migratory birds, visit the park's four waterfalls, enjoy the peace and solitude of winter, or hit the trails with your boots, mountain bike, or horse. A list of activities within your national parks can be found at www.nps.gov.

In addition, during this fee-free day Western National Parks Association is offering a 15% off sale on all bookstore merchandise at the Whiskeytown Visitor Center.The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on eight other days in 2014 – President's Day Weekend (February 15 to 17), National Park Week's Opening Weekend (April 19 to 20), National Park Service's 98^th Birthday (August 25), National Public Lands Day (September 27), and Veterans Day (November 11). For more information on Whiskeytown, please stop by the visitor center daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or call [phone].