Nature is free today. All 73 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas will offer free admission today, waiving the usual $5 vehicle permit requirement.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is celebrating National Get Outdoors Day by offering a variety of free activities in parks statewide. The goal of the event is to introduce first-time visitors to state parks, state trails, fishing piers and other public lands. In particular, park officials hope to reconnect youths -- whose participation in outdoor recreation has been declining -- to the outdoors.
Many parks now allow visitors to check out GPS units, birding kits, fishing kits and Kids Discovery Kits.
For more state park information, go to www.dnr.state.mn.us .
