Enjoy a Free Day at Your Favorite National Park

SUMMER'S SWEETNESS... is in full glow nowadays, and stopping by a spectacular spot inside a favorite national park? That spirit of sheer sweet-a-tude feels as strong and mighty as a summer sunbeam. Sweet sights, sweet moments, and sweet memories fill our visits to these gorgeous places, but things can grow even sweeter, if we know when to go. And if you go to Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, or Yosemite National Park on Thursday, Aug. 4? You'll be able to enter a treasured national park for free, no payment required at the gate, in honor of the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020.

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW? Many sites within the National Park System do not charge fees, but over a hundred destinations do, including the trio of parks mentioned above. The place to start your adventure? The Free Entrance Days in the National Parks page details everything you need to know before setting out for one of these splendid spaces, as well as the annual free days still to come. There are two more complimentary occasions, following Aug. 4, on the 2022 NPS calendar: National Public Lands Day on Sept. 24 and Veterans Day on Nov. 11. Also important? Looking at the entrance requirements of the park you have in mind. Yosemite is requiring reservations during certain hours on summer days, for example, so lining that up ahead of arriving at the gate is a must.

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK... shared some important tips about making the most of your desert adventure, safely, with heat-related tips and an advisory on checking the weather ahead of your trip (always important). For more on the parks-benefitting act, visiting Death Valley in the summertime, and everything you should know to make the most of your time there, click.