All National Parks...free

[kadee79]

For 2 days in Aug.....


www.travelawaits.com/2680140/august-free-entrance-days-us-national-parks/

[moon/Laura]

The 2 days I would NEVER go. Who finds enjoyment in the kind of crowd free days draw?

[Artemis Windsong]

H. and I are senior citizens. I bought a lifetime pass to all national parks for $10 when it was offered. We were going to use it at Arches national park but no one was at the gate.

Oh well, we still can use it other times.

[kadee79]

My DH got a free pass to all National Parks due to being a Veteran.  He got it when we were visiting the Volcano Park on the big island of Hawaii.  He's used it a couple other times too.
Our state, Ga., has free passes for all Veterans for the state parks too...and free fishing licenses...not sure about hunting licenses.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 14, 2021 16:05:09 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

H. and I are senior citizens. I bought a lifetime pass to all national parks for $10 when it was offered. We were going to use it at Arches national park but no one was at the gate.

Oh well, we still can use it other times.

So did I.

[tallguy]

Jul 14, 2021 22:26:10 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 14, 2021 16:05:09 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

H. and I are senior citizens. I bought a lifetime pass to all national parks for $10 when it was offered. We were going to use it at Arches national park but no one was at the gate.

Oh well, we still can use it other times.

So did I.

I was planning to when I got old enough, but GF has one already.  Came in really handy on our national parks tour road trip a couple years ago.  Eleven national parks and two national monuments.  Saved a bunch of money.  

[tallguy]

Jul 14, 2021 10:22:42 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

The 2 days I would NEVER go. Who finds enjoyment in the kind of crowd free days draw?

Absolutely.  Best times we had were when there were very few people around.  Crowds just destroyed the mood a couple times.  It wouldn't necessarily have been that bad, but a lot of people have no respect for the grandeur and majesty of nature.  They just don't appreciate it, and ruin the experience for those unfortunate enough to be around them.  Loud conversations or music?  Really?  You start to wish they would do everybody a favor and fall off a cliff.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 14, 2021 22:55:42 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Jul 14, 2021 10:22:42 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

The 2 days I would NEVER go. Who finds enjoyment in the kind of crowd free days draw?

Absolutely.  Best times we had were when there were very few people around.  Crowds just destroyed the mood a couple times.  It wouldn't necessarily have been that bad, but a lot of people have no respect for the grandeur and majesty of nature.  They just don't appreciate it, and ruin the experience for those unfortunate enough to be around them.  Loud conversations or music?  Really?  You start to wish they would do everybody a favor and fall off a cliff.

I think it was in Yellowstone NP where my family and my younger self in the summer of '66 came across a whole bunch of cars which had pulled off the road and were all using their binoculars to watch a distant grizzly bear amble across a field.

Lots of stopped traffic equaled something special to see. Not always a bad thing.

[tallguy]

Jul 14, 2021 23:27:49 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 14, 2021 22:55:42 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Absolutely.  Best times we had were when there were very few people around.  Crowds just destroyed the mood a couple times.  It wouldn't necessarily have been that bad, but a lot of people have no respect for the grandeur and majesty of nature.  They just don't appreciate it, and ruin the experience for those unfortunate enough to be around them.  Loud conversations or music?  Really?  You start to wish they would do everybody a favor and fall off a cliff.

I think it was in Yellowstone NP where my family and my younger self in the summer of '66 came across a whole bunch of cars which had pulled off the road and were all using their binoculars to watch a distant grizzly bear amble across a field.

Lots of stopped traffic equaled something special to see. Not always a bad thing.

Did the same thing.  2019, and two bears far off in the field.  Still better without all of the other people.   

We were also in a Yellowstone parking area next to a field, watching a herd of bison.  Some of them were pretty close.  All was great...until the herd decided to walk through the parking area.  Walking between cars, not more than a few feet away, and several idiots were trying to get up close to the bison.  Closest one came to me was maybe about ten feet, but I certainly wasn't going to do anything to startle him.  If those animals wanted to walk right on by and not bother me, standing still and not taking their picture sounded like a pretty good idea.    

[moon/Laura]

Jul 14, 2021 23:27:49 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 14, 2021 22:55:42 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Absolutely.  Best times we had were when there were very few people around.  Crowds just destroyed the mood a couple times.  It wouldn't necessarily have been that bad, but a lot of people have no respect for the grandeur and majesty of nature.  They just don't appreciate it, and ruin the experience for those unfortunate enough to be around them.  Loud conversations or music?  Really?  You start to wish they would do everybody a favor and fall off a cliff.

I think it was in Yellowstone NP where my family and my younger self in the summer of '66 came across a whole bunch of cars which had pulled off the road and were all using their binoculars to watch a distant grizzly bear amble across a field.

Lots of stopped traffic equaled something special to see. Not always a bad thing.

And that's fine with me, at least overall. I see that a lot at Estes Park, or Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR. And it's FAR better to have them observing safely than acting like fuckwits - getting dangerously close just for a photo op. That behavior ruins things for everyone.

[moon/Laura]

Jul 15, 2021 0:20:50 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Jul 14, 2021 23:27:49 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I think it was in Yellowstone NP where my family and my younger self in the summer of '66 came across a whole bunch of cars which had pulled off the road and were all using their binoculars to watch a distant grizzly bear amble across a field.

Lots of stopped traffic equaled something special to see. Not always a bad thing.

Did the same thing.  2019, and two bears far off in the field.  Still better without all of the other people.   

We were also in a Yellowstone parking area next to a field, watching a herd of bison.  Some of them were pretty close.  All was great...until the herd decided to walk through the parking area.  Walking between cars, not more than a few feet away, and several idiots were trying to get up close to the bison.  Closest one came to me was maybe about ten feet, but I certainly wasn't going to do anything to startle him.  If those animals wanted to walk right on by and not bother me, standing still and not taking their picture sounded like a pretty good idea.    

There's a bison herd at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR and there are areas where the animals can (and do) do the same thing. If they're grazing in an unfenced area more than 100 feet from me, I will get out of my car to take photos - but I stay at my car. I don't approach them because that's why I have a 600mm lens. I've seen people do that though. Dumbasses.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 15, 2021 11:25:07 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Jul 15, 2021 0:20:50 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Did the same thing.  2019, and two bears far off in the field.  Still better without all of the other people.   

We were also in a Yellowstone parking area next to a field, watching a herd of bison.  Some of them were pretty close.  All was great...until the herd decided to walk through the parking area.  Walking between cars, not more than a few feet away, and several idiots were trying to get up close to the bison.  Closest one came to me was maybe about ten feet, but I certainly wasn't going to do anything to startle him.  If those animals wanted to walk right on by and not bother me, standing still and not taking their picture sounded like a pretty good idea.    

There's a bison herd at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR and there are areas where the animals can (and do) do the same thing. If they're grazing in an unfenced area more than 100 feet from me, I will get out of my car to take photos - but I stay at my car. I don't approach them because that's why I have a 600mm lens. I've seen people do that though. Dumbasses.

[Opti]

Jul 14, 2021 10:22:42 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

The 2 days I would NEVER go. Who finds enjoyment in the kind of crowd free days draw?

Someone who can't afford it otherwise. I might try one if the car is up to it.