Coming up is second of 3 free weekends at national parks, July 18-19

Free weekend at national parks, July 18-19

WASHINGTON — Another free weekend is coming up at national parks and monuments.

The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees July 18-19 as part of an effort to stimulate summer visits to the parks.

The first weekend took place June 20-21. The final one will be Aug. 15-16.

The waiver applies only to entrance fees and does not affect charges for camping, reservations, tours or concessions. The Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park and Yosemite are among well over 100 parks and monuments around the country offering free entrance under the program.

In North Carolina, visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore area will be able to visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial free of charge.

In Wyoming, the opportunity applies to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Devils Tower National Monument, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Grand Teton officials say they’re marking the weekend with organized events including a canoe and kayak trip on Jenny Lake, an astronomy presentation and two guided hikes for birders.

On the Net:

Park Service free weekend offer: www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.