More than 100 U.S. national parks charge entrance fees year round (ranging from $3 to $25), but on Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday weekend— January 14-16, 2012 — all national parks are FREE! The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees, but fees for reservations, camping, tours, concessions and fees collected by third parties are not waived unless stated. With 394 national parks throughout the country, most Americans live within a few hours of one, so now is the time to take an easy day trip close to home, or hit the road for an extended vacation.

Although entrance fees at all national parks are waived January 14-16, if you’d like to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in a special way, you can literally walk in Dr. King’s footsteps at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, or the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama. Although not a national park, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama is open for tours. This small red brick church is the place Dr. King began his quest for civil rights— from a pulpit.

If you’re near Washington, DC, visit the newest memorial within the national park system— the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It was dedicated on August 28, 2011, the anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. This is the first memorial (comprised of the Stone of Hope and large inscriptions walls) on the National Mall devoted, not to a United States President or war hero, but a citizen activist for civil rights and peace. Master Lei Yikin is the sculptor of the Stone of Hope (photo below courtesy NPS). Several parks across the country will also honor Dr. King by hosting volunteer projects for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service—the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a day on, not a day off.

If your RV cover isn’t on too tight and a winter road trip sounds enticing, don’t miss out on the National Park Service’s first wallet-friendly weekend of the year. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service will waive their entrance and standard amenity fees January 14 to 16 as well. Winter is an especially great time of year to enjoy the most popular parks since there are no summer crowds and traffic, just be sure to call ahead and confirm driving conditions.

Mark your calendars for these additional fee-free dates in 2012: 

• April 21-29: National Park Week
• June 9: Get Outdoors Day
• September 29: National Public Lands Day
• November 10-12: Veterans Day weekend