Change of Direction

Canyonlands National Park at sunrise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When traveling in Utah, my passenger and I knew the national parks we wanted to see. Since this aspect of the trip to California was spur of the moment, we limited ourselves to only the national parks. We would see signs for state parks and other natural attractions, but we did not know whether we would want to take the time to see them. We had not done our research on any places other than the ones we wanted to see in our limited time.

The next posting will feature some national lands in each state. Some major national attractions and their proximity to the interstates will be highlighted with a short description of each. Vacationers who choose a major national park will be able to see what other federal attractions are near it. Just to be different I will list them in reverse alphabetical order.

Travelers who wish to take trips to these parks would be wise to invest in a national park pass. The cost of many national parks has increased and the purchase of a pass will save travelers a lot of money. Information is available at the U.S. National Park Service website. The Annual Pass costs $80 and is available to everyone. The pass covers the entrance fee for all passengers in a vehicle. A free pass is available for members of the military. A Senior Pass is available for residents 62 and older. This is a lifetime pass. The Access Pass is free to those citizens who have a permanent disability. Finally, the Volunteer Pass is free to volunteers with 250 volunteer hours with federal agencies.

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