Five free days? Head to New Mexico's public lands

New Mexicans who enjoy the state's public lands will have several opportunities in 2020 to take advantage of the great outdoors free of cost.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20, is one of five fee-free days offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Find a map of New Mexico's public lands here.

Recreation fees to access public lands are waived that day.

The other "Fee-Free Days" for 2020 are: Feb. 17; June 13; Sept. 26; Nov. 11.

“One of the greatest assets we have in this country is our public lands,” said Deputy Director of Policy and Programs for the BLM, William Perry Pendley.

“With our fee-free days, we hope that Americans will get outside to enjoy these national treasures – the 245 million acres of public lands across our nation, most of which are in the West and Alaska.”

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land nationwide. A number of recreation opportunities are found on those lands, including hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating, whitewater rafting, off-highway vehicle driving, rock climbing, and more.

"Americans make approximately 67 million visits annually to BLM-managed lands, supporting approximately 48,000 jobs nationwide and contributing almost $7 billion to the U.S. economy," a news release from the BLM read.

While visitation and recreation fees will be waived, other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use, and use of special areas, will remain in effect.

Visit www.recreation.gov for more information or to find public lands near you.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@currentargus.com, @JussGREAT on Twitter at by phone at 575-628-5531.

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