Come and experience the national parks! On five days in 2023, all National Park Service (NPS) sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates in 2023:
“National parks are really amazing places and we want everyone to experience them,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “The entrance fee-free days encourage people to discover the beauty, history, and inspiration awaiting them in more than 400 national parks throughout the country.”
Detailed information about what there is to see and do at each park is available on NPS.gov or the NPS app. People need to know before they go what is open and available especially if interested in overnight accommodations.
In 2021, 297 million people visited national parks and spent $20.5 billion in local communities. This supported 322,600 jobs across the country and had a $42.5 billion benefit to the U.S. economy.
Most national parks are always free to enter. Only about 100 of the 400+ national parks have an entrance fee. For parks with an entrance fee, the cost ranges from $5 to $35 and the money remains in the NPS with 80-100 percent staying in the park where collected. The funds are used to enhance the visitor experience by providing programs and services, habitat restoration, and infrastructure maintenance and repair.
The fee waiver for the fee-free days applies only to NPS entrance fees and does not cover amenity or user fees for camping, boat launches, transportation, special tours, or other activities.
The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas including all national parks for the pass holder and companions accompanying them.
There are also free or discounted passes available for currently serving members of the U.S. military and their dependents, military veterans, Gold Star Families, fourth-grade students, disabled citizens, and senior citizens. Other federal land management agencies offering their fee-free days in 2023 are the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
RVing with Rex has posted a series of Ultimate Guides to…
These resources were written for RVers who wish to explore a national park or other location in depth and often highlight cheap and free things to do while traveling in the area. Having a tried-and-true itinerary can assist you in maximizing your time in a NPS site by showcasing the highlights including hiking trails and campgrounds in and near the park.
National parks are sacred and cherished places—our greatest personal and national treasures. It’s a gift to spend a year adventuring and capturing incredible images and stories in some of the most beautiful places on Earth.
When you travel in an RV, receiving gifts can go from being fun to being stressful quite quickly. This is because RVs are such tiny living spaces that finding places to put new things can be nearly impossible.
Many traditional gifts are fun things that aren’t necessarily needed by RVers. RVers often end up getting rid of a number of the gifts they receive during the holiday season. This isn’t particularly fun for the gift receiver. The gift-giver would surely be upset to find this out. Therefore, it’s best to avoid the problem altogether.
Fortunately, some gifts won’t end up in the donation bin. If you aren’t sure what kinds of things to get the RVer in your life, try the holiday gift ideas in my list below.
Consumable gifts
Consumables are great gift ideas because they get used up meaning they won’t take up space for long but are still used and appreciated. There are the typical consumables such as food gifts and bath and body products but the items below are even more useful to RVers who may have allergies or don’t have access to a bathtub anyway.
This one might seem a bit odd but honestly it’s the perfect stocking stuffer for the person who uses laundromats on a regular basis. After all, quarters aren’t always easy to come by and having a roll put away for when you need them can be a lifesaver.
2. Gift cards
Gift cards are always one of the top gift ideas. Give the gift of a great meal by picking up a restaurant card or snag one for a favorite ice cream or coffee chain. Walmart, Camping World, and Amazon cards are also useful when an RVer needs to make a repair or upgrade.
3. Fuel gift cards
Consider getting your RVing friend a Flying J/Pilot or Love’s gift card they can use to buy diesel or gas fuel, propane, or pay for dump station fees.
Those who spend a lot of time boondocking know what it’s like to go a few days without a shower. Help make the boondocker in your life more comfortable by providing them with Venture Wipes to clean up with between showers. These all-natural travel wipes use natural ingredients like aloe, vitamin E, and tea tree oil. They easily wipe off dirt and grime giving you a clean feeling.
5. Rainbow sticks
These are tons of fun for camping families. Simply throw your rainbow stick in the campfire and watch the flames change colors before your eyes.
Practical gifts are always appreciated. They may not seem super fun but they will get used and the fact that they make life a little easier is sure to get you bonus points. Besides, some of these things are fun to receive if you choose a special color or print.
6. Multi-tool
Tools always come in handy while on the road. What better way to save space than with a well-made multi-tool? The Leatherman Skeletool Multi-Tool is a perfect example of this.
You never can have too many flashlights that work. You never know when you’re going to need to peer into a dark cabinet, under the rig, or walk to the bathhouse late at night.
8. Instant Pot
Many RVers rave about the RV instant pot. The Instant Pot Dual Duo Plus 9-in-1 electric pressure cooker can do a wide variety of jobs. It can cook entire meals quickly using only one pot and is a breeze to clean up. It offers five customizable Smart Programs for pressure cooking ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry, yogurt, and desserts.
Exploring the world requires carrying some things around meaning a good backpack is necessary. An ideal backpack for RVers is lightweight, versatile, easy to clean, and packs things in quite nicely.
10. Ice maker
When freezer space is at a premium, ice trays aren’t necessarily going to fit very well. Besides, ice trays don’t hold a lot and refilling them can be a pain. An electric ice making machine sits on a counter and will ensure your RVing friend has ice anytime they need it and give them back their freezer space.
RVs rarely have enough counter space. Fortunately, over-the-sink cutting boards create a bit of extra space for the cooking enthusiast. Best of all, some cutting boards also includes a tiny built-in colander, so you can rinse as you chop.
12. Folding step stool
A step stool is a super practical gift for an RV owner making it easier to get in and out of the RV and to interior cupboards. A folding step stool is great because it collapses to easily store in the RV when it’s not being used.
From laundry to chairs, you never know what you might need to lug around the campground. You could of course carry it all, but a collapsible folding wagon makes things much easier by allowing you to pull items from one place to the next. Best of all, it folds down making it easy to store.
14. Hammock
There is nothing quite as relaxing as spending an afternoon in a hammock in the great outdoors. Give your RVing friend the gift of relaxation by placing a small, yet strong, hammock under the tree this year.
Most people who enjoy traveling also enjoy journaling about their adventures and showing off photos of the places they have explored. Give a gift of a high-end journal or photo book and a nice pen to record their memories.
Experiential gifts
Finally, there is the option of an experience gift. These gifts are great because they don’t take up any room at all besides a slot in a wallet. They are also tons of fun to receive and help the recipient make memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Tickets to a sports event, concert, festival, or other events might be just the thing to make your RVer happy without overwhelming them with physical things that take up space. Just make sure you know where they will be and when so you know they can make it to the event you have in mind.
17. Reciprocal museum membership
Another option is a membership of some sort. Since RVers aren’t typically in one place for long periods of time, many of them like having museum memberships that offer reciprocal benefits at other similar museums.
Below are some of the reciprocal programs available:
North American Reciprocal Museum Association
The Association of Science and Technology Centers
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Children’s Museums
American Horticultural Society
Time Travelers (reciprocal membership network for historical museums, sites, and societies throughout the US)
Perfect for the thrill-seeking traveler, many theme parks have an annual pass option that includes benefits at multiple parks across the country. These annual passes are great gift ideas. Below is a list of some of the more popular multi-park passes out there:
Merlin Pass (LEGOLAND Parks and Discovery Centers, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museums, and Sea Life Aquariums)
Six Flags Gold Pass
Cedar Point Platinum Pass
Herschend Pass (Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, Stone Mountain Park, and more)
While they don’t offer reciprocal benefits, annual passes to parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are popular with RVers who spend the winter in Florida.
Yet another card you could get for your RVing friend is a camping club membership. There are dozens of camping clubs out there and all of them offer a different collection of benefits. A few favorites are listed below:
Thousand Trails
Passport America
Escapees
Harvest Hosts
Boondockers Welcome
20. America the Beautiful pass
An America the Beautiful pass will offer your RVing friends free entrance access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. This includes National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, National Memorials, National Historic Sites, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management.
Poinsettias for Christmas Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
21. State recreation passes
The majority of RVers enjoy exploring and camping on public land. Consider buying them a pass that allows them to recreate in a specific state. A majority of states require a day pass to enter their state park system; some even provide a discount on overnight camping.
Between all of these ideas, you’re sure to find something for your RVing friends.
Worth Pondering…
Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.
—Dave Barry, Christmas Shopping: A Survivor’s Guide
