Park for free

Shenandoah National Park will waive entrance fees for all park visitors this Saturday, June 16, in honor of Park Neighbor Day, an annual event held on the third Saturday of June to honor our neighbors who live in the counties and gateway communities surrounding the Park.

Shenandoah National Park will host a Neighbor Appreciation Festival at the Big Meadows Wayside (mile 51 on Skyline Drive) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to stop by to see exhibits displayed by its park neighbors that showcase their wonderful amenities including places to eat, places to stay and places to play.

The Park’s partner organizations will also be present to highlight the important activities they undertake to support Shenandoah National Park. There will be local musicians playing every hour and food and beverages to purchase outside. The event will be held rain or shine, but will be cancelled in the event of extreme weather.

Another special event will also be taking place at Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51 Skyline Drive) on Saturday, June 16 from 11 a.m. to noon. Renowned author Jeff Alt will present a program featuring interactive time travel adventures based on his book “The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling through Shenandoah National Park.”

Jeff’s Bubba Jones stories are designed to engage kids with wild animal encounters, interesting history, science, and the environment and will have your entire family excited to take your own Shenandoah adventure. This program is free to park visitors.