White Sands National Monument to Waive Entrance Fees On Three Weekends this Summer
Who: White Sands National Monument
What: Free Admission three weekends this summer
When: July 18-19 & August 15-16 2009
Where: White Sands National Monument (located roughly 45 miles east of Las Cruces on U.S. Highway 70 between White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base.)
Contact: (575) 479-6124
White Sands National Monument to Waive Entrance Fees On Three Weekends this Summer
Alamogordo, NM –White Sands National Monument will join 390 other national parks across American and offer three fee-free weekends during this summer.
“We want to encourage everyone to visit White Sands National Monument this summer,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “During these tough economic times, this is a great opportunity for families to explore the spectacular geology, plants and animals, and the incredible night sky of the White Sands for free.”
The entrance fees will be waived on the following weekends:
June 20-21 (Father’s Day Weekend), 2009
July 18-19, 2009
August 15-16, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the National Park Service would host the fee-free weekends during a June 2 visit to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. The intent is to encourage Americans to visit their national parks and to promote local and regional tourism.
During these weekends, White Sands National Monument will waive the $3 entrance fee per adult (anyone age 16 or older). The entrance stations will be open and staff will be available to provide maps, answer questions, and sell annual passes. The fee waiver does not include other fees such as for camping or special use permits.
White Sands National Monument hosts a free ranger guided nature walk called the Sunset Stroll every evening at 7:00 PM. Visitors meet the ranger at the Sunset Stroll Trailhead located 5 miles from the Entrance Station on the Dunes Drive. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at 8:30 PM, there is also a free evening program at the amphitheatre in the Heart of the Dunes. A variety of topics are offered, including: Plant Adaptations; Geology of the White Sands; Ranching, Railroads, Mining, Monument, and Murder: the Tularosa Basin at the Turn of the 20th Century; White Sands WILD Wildlife. Both the Sunset Stroll and the evening program are free programs.
The bookstore at White Sands National Monument will also offer 20% off all merchandise during these three weekends. The Western National Parks Association (managers of the bookstore) is pleased to offer the discount in support of the National Park Service and this unique opportunity for the public.
