Date: June 5, 2009
Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583
The National Park Service is offering three fee-free weekends this summer at national parks across the country. The first weekend is Father’s Day Weekend, June 20-21. The other weekends are July 18-19 and August 15-16.
Denali National Park and Preserve is the only National Park System unit in Alaska that charges an entrance fee. The fee free weekends will apply there, but with some conditions. Visitors who have made advance reservations for park campgrounds, shuttle bus seats, or a bus tour have already paid an entrance fee and will not receive a refund. The no-refund policy is being applied across the country. Visitors who arrive at Denali without an advance reservation will have the entrance fee waived when they obtain their campsite or bus ticket on any of the six fee-free days. The normal entrance fee at Denali is $10 per person or $20 per vehicle.
More than 100 parks around the United States are waiving entrance fees on the three weekends. Additionally, many park concessioners are offering discounts on these weekends. A list of the fee-free parks and links to special offers are available at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.
Doyon/ARAMARK, the concessioner which runs the bus systems at Denali, is offering a 50 percent discount on a second Denali Natural History Tour ticket with the purchase of a full-price ticket. Information on tours and other park transportation options is available at www.nps.gov/dena and the “bus services” link. When booking through ARAMARK, visitors should use the promotional code NPSDAYS.
“While we usually recommend having reservations before arriving at the height of the visitor season, this year you’re more likely to find seats available on the shuttle buses and some of the tour options” said Denali Superintendent Paul Anderson. “We hope that Alaskans will take advantage of the fee free weekends to come experience Denali, either again, or for the very first time. We have are proud of the wonderful new facilities and trails that have been built in past few years, which further enhance a visit to this special park.”
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