Shenandoah N.P. by numbphoto

You have to agree that as much as we love DC, it’s always nice to get out of the city.  Luckily for us there are a lot of national parks in the area that make for great road trip destinations with family and friends (or by yourself if you’re the loner type).  I know one of my favorites to visit in the fall will always be Shenandoah National Park, that is when it’s not swarming with people.

But what about those pesky park entrance fees?  Well, the National Park Service is waiving them for certain parks for three weekends this summer, so dust off those hiking boots, load up your car full of beer and weenies, and get your nature on!

Free Weekends

• June 20-21, 2009 (Father’s Day weekend)
• July 18-19, 2009
• August 15-16, 2009

Parks by State

DC
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Maryland
Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Fort McHenry NM and Historic Shrine National Monument
Fort Washington Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Virginia
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
National Memorial
Assateague Island National Seashore
Colonial National Historical Park
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
George Washington Memorial Parkway’s Great Falls Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
Prince William Forest Park
Shenandoah National Park

Max Cook

Hailing from the Mile High City, Max has also lived in Tinsel Town, the Emerald City, as well as the City of Brotherly Love. Now a District resident, he likes to write about cool photos by local photographers, the DC restaurant and bar scene, or anything else that pops into his mind.