HARLINGEN — Additional “fee-free days” have been added for 2022 at both national parks and wildlife refuges to encourage folks who may have been cooped-up indoors for much of the past two years.
The National Parks Service has announced five entrance-free days this year, which makes it a good time to drive the beaches at the Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi.
Closer to home, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the nation’s wildlife refuge system, also is getting in on the free-days act.
USFW officials also announced they will waive entrance fees, too, at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
“Whether on an entrance fee-free day or throughout the year, we encourage everyone to discover their national parks and the benefits that come from spending time outdoors,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “National parks are for everyone and we are committed to increasing access and providing opportunities for all to experience the sense of wonder, awe and refreshment that comes with a visit to these treasured landscapes and sites.”
Families can begin to plan their national park visits by going online to www.nps.gov or by downloading the NPS app, available for iOS and Android.
At national parks like Padre Island National Seashore, the fee-free day does not, alas, include additional costs like user fees for camping, launching boats or special tours, only the entrance fee.
Most national parks, like USFWS wildlife refuges, do not charge entrance fees.
But Padre Island National Seashore is not one of them. Entry fees are $10 per vehicle for a one-day pass.
At Laguna Atascosa, the usual vehicle daily pass is $3, even though the visitor center is currently closed due to COVID-19. Visitors are required to use the self-pay kiosk outside the visitor center instead.
In 2020, 237 million people visited national parks and spent $14.5 billion in local communities where they’re located. This supported 234,000 jobs across the country and had a $28.6 billion impact on the U.S. economy, the park service says.
