America鈥檚 public lands are owned by the people and managed on our behalf by federal and state governments. That means you get to use them for all sorts of fun things听for little to no charge. Here鈥檚 how to do that.
National Parks
What are they?听The crown jewels of our public-lands system, protect our country鈥檚听most beautiful places听while making it as easy as possible for large听numbers of people to visit.
Why should you go there? Sightseeing. From Yosemite鈥檚 towering granite walls to Yellowstone鈥檚 wildlife and thermal features, national parks contain the most iconic natural attractions.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Camping. Not only are national parks crowded, meaning that permits and reservations are often necessary for even remote backcountry sites, but the pressure those crowds bring to these unspoiled landscapes means that you鈥檒l necessarily be subject to lots of strictly enforced rules. Fishing may be allowed by special permit, but hunting is mostly forbidden, as are activities like mountain biking.
What do they cost? Of the 417 national-park sites, only 118 of the most popular charge entry fees, which are typically $30 for a听passenger vehicle. And even that fee can be waved or reduced depending on your age, military service, or even on certain holidays.
National Forests
What are they? Managed for multiple听use, provide resource extraction听as well as wildlife conservation and recreation opportunities.
Why should you go there? For fishing, hunting, cycling, camping, and other outdoor pursuits. Forests are way less crowded than parks听and typically allow virtually any activity.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Accessibility. Forests are basically听just undeveloped tracts of land. Travel through them takes preparation and capability, and you鈥檒l need to find the good stuff yourself.
What do they cost? Resource extraction pays for the rest of us to use them mostly for free, but there are specific recreation passes required at certain popular sites.
Bureau of Land Management Lands
What are they? The federal government originally tried to give away to homesteaders during the westward expansion. But听a lot was left over, and someone needed to manage it, so today the BLM does that for one-tenth of our landmass, on lands听located primarily in the western states. Governed by the principle of multiple use, the BLM must balance the needs of resource extraction with conservation and recreation, while maintaining this land for the enjoyment of future generations.
Why should you go there? Don鈥檛 like rules? Well, there鈥檚 not many on BLM land. You can camp, you can shoot guns, you can ride or drive off-road, you can have a campfire. Within basic reason, anything goes so long as you leave only footprints听and don鈥檛 drive off designated routes.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? We鈥檙e talking about vast empty swaths of what is typically desert, so you鈥檙e on your own out there. Get into trouble听and help is likely a long way听away, if available at all.
What do they cost? BLM land is typically free to use, but some permits are required for special uses听or in designated sites.
National Wildlife Refuges
What are they? Originally created听and still funded by听waterfowl hunters, wildlife refuges exist to provide habitat and migration corridors for birds听and other wildlife.
Why should you go there? Hunting, fishing, paddling, and wildlife viewing.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Camping听and hiking. Wildlife refuges are typically composed of wetlands听or contain lots of them.
What do they cost? Hunters听fund the wildlife-refuge system by buying a federal migratory bird-hunting permit, commonly referred to as the duck stamp. While you can visit a wildlife refuge for free if you鈥檙e not hunting, you can also chose to contribute to the system . As a bonus, they鈥檙e collectible.
National Conservation Areas
What are they? managed by the BLM听but given greater levels of protection. No resource extraction is permitted in conservation areas.
Why should you go there? Backpacking. Motorized travel is typically restricted in conservation areas, leaving you free to explore these exceptionally stunning听(but uncrowded)听places on foot.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Accessibility听and recreation. With access being limited, and only foot travel permitted, these can be difficult places to visit. Most activities, like mountain biking, are also banned. Each one has different rules, so听familiarize yourself with them before planning a trip.
What do they cost? Some areas may require entry by special permit only. The fees are nominal鈥攖ypically $10鈥攁nd are mostly a way to limit human presence.
National Monuments
What are they? in order to protect areas of particular historic, natural, or scientific interest that are being threatened. There鈥檚 been a lot of political rhetoric around monuments recently, which is a shame. Each is unique听and typically makes an allowance for historic uses, so really they just add protection to areas we were about to lose the ability to enjoy.
Why should you go there? By their very nature, monuments are remarkable. Some, like Mount Rushmore, are simply听tourist attractions. Others, like Bears Ears, offer some of the best backcountry camping in the world.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? I suppose if you鈥檙e an energy company looking to rape the environment you might look elsewhere.
What do they cost? Depends on the monument. Most are free.
Wilderness Areas
What are they?. Wilderness areas are designated by Congress, can exist within other types of lands, like national forests, and specifically ban any form of motorized or wheeled travel.
Why should you go there? To see and participate in truly wild landscapes. They鈥檙e great places to go backpacking, hunting, and fishing.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Wildernesses are, by definition, difficult to access. That鈥檚 what makes them fun鈥攂ut only for the prepared.
What do they cost? They鈥檙e typically free, but parking at the trailhead may come with a fee depending on location.
National Recreation Areas
What are they? Typically located near major urban areas, and are designed to provide outdoor recreation opportunities for large numbers of people. Many are听on a dammed river, .
Why should you go there? They鈥檙e easy to get to. They have lots of water or trails.听Go have fun.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Visiting during spring break probably isn鈥檛 for shy and retiring types.
What do they cost? Typically $25 per passenger vehicle, and there may be additional slip and moorage fees.
Wild and Scenic Rivers
What are they? Created as a mechanism for preserving natural (read: without dams)听waterways in their original state, the is basically a wilderness designation for water.
Why should you go there? Floating and fishing. If you want to experience a river as nature intended, this is where you do that.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? Motorized boating is prohibited on many wild and scenic rivers; each has its own management plan.
What do they cost? They鈥檙e free to use, but you may encounter听parking or put-in/take-out fees in some areas, and you鈥檒l need a state license to fish.
National Seashores and Lakeshores
What are they? Established to preserve , you鈥檒l find these along the coasts of both oceans, the Gulf of Mexico,听and the Great Lakes.
Why should you go there? Like beaches? Want to see what those looked like before people built hotels and expensive houses on them? Well, these are the most beautiful, unspoiled beaches in the country.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? You鈥檙e not going to find services like beach bars and banana stands here.
What do they cost? Fees vary from $3 to $20 per day.
National Trails
What are they? . Access and management are provided by the federal government along routes that may cross state, federal, and private land. There are听three types of national trails: scenic, historic, and recreation. Scenic trails, likely the type听you鈥檙e most familiar with,听are at least 100 miles in length听and compose our nation鈥檚 most famous thru-hiking routes, like the Appalachian Trail. Historic trails retrace famous trips, like the 4,900-mile Lewis and Clark Trail,听the path of the well-known mapping expedition. Recreation听trails are just that听and vary in length.
Why should you go there? Backpacking trips. If you鈥檝e got something to prove, and that something is the ability to march along a trail for several weeks or months, then this is where you鈥檇 do that.
What鈥檚 better elsewhere? I鈥檇 say solitude, as the most famous trails are pretty darn popular these days, but there are听so many trails in this system, and some are so remote, that you can definitely find that here,听too.
What do they cost?听National trails are typically free, but you may need to pay fees if you pass through certain national parks, use some campgrounds, or take advantage of other services.
Don鈥檛 Forget the听Rest
Even with all the 640 million acres mentioned above, we鈥檙e only scratching the surface of places you can go play outdoors in the United States. Those states also own land, and while they aren鈥檛 required to protect it to the same degree as the feds, state-trust lands听and state parks still offer amazing recreational opportunities. So听in addition to the enormous amount of land managed by the federal government, Americans have access to , , and numerous smaller city parks. No matter where you are in the country, there鈥檚 probably some of that public land right outside your front door. .