Itasca State Park, Minnesota from FireTower

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is offering free admission to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas Saturday, June 11. This “Free Park Day” is one of four days each year on which the DNR waives the requirement for a vehicle permit to enter state parks and recreation areas. The entrance fee waiver does not cover activities like camping, rentals or tours.

The goal of Free Park Days is to get all Minnesotans outdoors. Research shows that spending time outdoors in nature provides multiple health and wellness benefits.

“Minnesota state parks and recreation areas are open year-round to provide places for people to recharge from life’s everyday demands and be surrounded by the beauty of nature,” said Ann Pierce, director of the DNR Parks and Trails Division. “We hope that visitors who go to a state park or recreation area for the first time on Free Park Day will have fun and want to come back.”

The upcoming Free Park Day coincides with National Get Outdoors Day, which takes place annually on the second Saturday in June. To celebrate National Get Outdoors Day, more than 40 special programs are being offered in state parks and recreation areas throughout Minnesota. For a complete list of programs, with times and locations, visit the DNR’s events calendar (mndnr.gov/State_Parks/Events.html). All programs are free, but some require pre-registration.

For more information, contact the DNR Information Center by emailing info.dnr@state.mn.us or by calling 888-MINNDNR (646-6367) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.