Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Grand Teton National Park

Date: September 16, 2011
Contact: Jackie Skaggs, 307.739.3393

Grand Teton National Park will waive entrance fees (including commercial tour fees) on Saturday, September 24 in recognition of National Public Lands Day. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar declared that admission fees shall be waived at all National Park Service sites in an effort to encourage individuals, families and communities to reconnect with nature and explore America's great outdoors. National Public Lands Day is also a time for individuals to volunteer their time and energy through beneficial projects. 

In coordination with the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC), Grand Teton will host several volunteer projects on September 24th. These include fence removal, revegetation work, and weed treatment projects. For more information on how to volunteer, please visit the National Public Lands Day website at www.publiclandsday.org and search for Grand Teton National Park. 

National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with a purpose to increase awareness of the value of all public lands, to foster shared stewardship of America's national resources, and to encourage people to volunteer their time. Last year alone, more than 175,000 participants took part in 2,000 events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and many U.S. territories to give their parks a helping hand. That effort may be matched or exceeded this year. 

"We hope that local residents and visitors will come to experience the special nature of the fall season in Grand Teton National Park and enjoy free entry to the park ," said Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. "It's the perfect time to catch brilliant fall colors and watch fascinating wildlife such as elk, moose, bears and pikas as they exhibit their traditional autumn behavior. It's also a great time to hike, fish, boat and photograph the beauty of this landscape, or to volunteer time to help us complete some essential work." 

National Public Lands Day is the only time that entrance fees are systematically waived on all public lands across America. Fees will be waived at the national park units, as well as other land management sites including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Forest Service areas. In addition to National Public Lands Day, United States veterans are admitted free to national parks each year on Veteran's Day in November. 

Visitors are reminded that the fee waiver applies to entrance fees only and does not affect use fees for camping or boating. For more information on fee-free opportunities in park units around the country, please visit www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.