National Park “Staycation”: An Economical Option For Californians
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Los Angeles, CA - With the price of gas topping four dollars a gallon, many people are opting to vacation closer to home. Luckily for Californians who are thinking that way, there are 23 national parks in their own backyard.
Laine Hendricks with the National Parks Conservation Association says most parks are within a few hours' drive, and entrance fees are reasonable.
"Many families are surprised to find that national parks are a more economical alternative, compared to Disneyland where one might pay $40 to $50 per person just to get inside; you could pay a maximum of $20 per vehicle at a California national park."
Hendricks says many Californians haven't explored their national parks. She says Fresno, for example, is one of only three places in the entire U.S. to have three national parks nearby.
"It's really sad. A lot of people have lived in the Central Valley area and have never even been to Yosemite, Sequoia or Kings Canyon in their lives."
Hendricks says the parks have more to offer than just forests, as many have exhibits and classes for adults and children. She says hundreds of people showed up for National Parks Family Day recently to find out more about camping and park activities.
For more information online on the national parks, visit www.nps.gov.
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