On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama State Parks will waive all entrance and parking fees on National Public Lands Day, which takes place Saturday, September 24, 2022.
“The past few years have shown us just how important outdoor recreation is to our health and wellbeing,” Ivey stated. “Spending time outdoors can reset our minds and refresh our spirits. Because of that, I encourage you to visit any of our Alabama State Parks on National Public Lands Day and experience some of the best our state has to offer.”
.@ALStateParks will waive all entrance & parking fees on National Public Lands Day on Sat., Sept. 24, 2022! I encourage you to visit any of our parks on this special day & experience some of the best our state has to offer. @OutdoorAlabama #alpolitics https://t.co/EXUePc6vDW
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) September 19, 2022
Established in 1994, National Public Lands Day celebrates the importance of public lands like Alabama State Parks, wildlife management areas, and Forever Wild Land Trust tracts. The day also promotes the important role volunteers play in supporting access to outdoor recreation for everyone.
“Having quality access to outdoor recreation is a vital aspect of improving the quality of life for all Alabamians,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). “I am honored that Governor Ivey has made outdoor recreation a priority of her Administration. We look forward to continuing our efforts to increase access to public lands and outdoor recreation throughout the state.”
Alabama State Parks is a division of ADCNR and maintains 21 state parks encompassing approximately 48,000 acres of public land and water in the state. In recent years the State Parks Division has been implementing an extensive renovation and improvement project statewide.
State Parks Director Greg Lein expressed excitement over showing off improvements that have been made to the parks.
“In addition to much-needed infrastructure repairs and improvements, we have updated many day use areas and modernized campgrounds throughout the parks system,” stated Lein. “We look forward to sharing these improvements with our guests on National Public Lands Day.”
Each year, several million people participate in outdoors-related activities in Alabama, generating an economic impact of almost $15 billion. This translates into more than 135,000 jobs for Alabamians.
Alabama’s state parks system offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation options from the mountains of North Alabama to the state’s Gulf Coast. Although entry and parking fees will be waived on September 24, fees for park amenities such as canoe rentals and cave tours will still apply. There will be no cost for activities like hiking and mountain biking and enjoying day-use areas throughout our state parks system.
