This Saturday could be a freebie for those headed out to local trails, lakes and parks, as some federal and state agencies are waiving their usual parking fees in honor of National Get Outdoors Day.
The fee-free holiday will take place Saturday, June 12, and will apply to all lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Washington State Parks. Fees will still be charged Saturday at national park sites and national wildlife refuges.
Parking fees, which range from $5 at national forests to $10 daily at Washington state parks, will be waived Saturday, one of several fee-free days celebrated throughout the year. Camping and other fees will still apply.
National Get Outdoors Day is coordinated by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and the U.S. Forest Service, and is held annually on the second Saturday in June. The event started in 2008 as a way to encourage Americans, especially young people, to recreate outside on public lands.
While the scale of the event has waned in recent years, it remains one of the few dedicated fee-free days on state and federal lands.
Of course, those with annual park passes like the Discover Pass for Washington State Parks, the Northwest Forest Pass for regional U.S. Forest Service sites or the interagency America the Beautiful pass that applies to all federal lands, are exempt from parking fees year-round.