Will you take advantage of free weekends at national parks this summer?

Long before this recession, I have worked to get the most travel bang for our family of five’s buck. Exploring the nearly 400 National Parks and monuments in our country has always been a great way to experience a big vacation for a little money. With more Americans tightening their travel budgets this year, the National Parks Service has decided to sweeten the deal.

For three weekends this summer, the 147 parks in the system that normally charge entrance fees will be free – and that price is right on the money for many of us. (The other 244 parks are already free.) The first free weekend is coming up this month on Father’s Day weekend, June 20-21. Two more weekends will follow on July 18-19 and August 15-16.

The Parks Service estimates it will lose about one million dollars in revenue for each of the free weekends, but the Department of the Interior hopes the losses will be offset by increased tourism to the parks. An Interior spokeswoman said many hotels, tour operators, restaurants, shops and vendors plan to offer corresponding discounts and promotions during the free weekends as well.

Parks with entrance fees typically charge between $3 and $25 per day, and fees for camping and other activities will not be waived during these dates.

While your weekend savings from entrance fees might not be enough to warrant a flight out to Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, there are several good parks within a short drive from Atlanta on which you may save a few dollars. Many more parks and sites nearby are already free.

Take advantage of the free admission to these parks in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida, and you could save from $3 to $6 per person during these special weekends. (For a complete list of national parks, click on www.nps.gov/findapark/.)

Canaveral National Seashore in Central Florida usually charges a $3 daily use fee per person.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Fla. normally charges a $6 entrance fee for adults.

Fort Moultrie in Charleston Harbor, SC charges individuals $3 and families $5 most of the year. Down the coast in St. Simons Island, Ga., Fort Frederica also usually charges $3 per person.

Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee typically charges individuals $3 and families $5, and Little River Canyon National Preserve in Fort Payne, Ala. usually requires a $3 vehicle entrance fee.

Or stay in town and save on a trip to Atlanta’s Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area – which typically charges visitors $3 per day.

Have you heard of these fee-free weekends at the national parks this summer? Are the savings enough to make you consider getting out to one of our country’s national parks over these weekends? What do you think of the discounts and promotions that hotels, restaurants and other vendors are offering in conjunction with these special dates? How do you feel about vacationing in a national park in general?

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