Enjoy a free and family-friendly 'Green Friday' on the day after Thanksgiving! National Park Service

November 19, 2015

Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005

In celebration of Thanksgiving and as a way to encourage healthy outdoor time, Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks will offer free entry to all park areas on Friday, November 27.

"The day after Thanksgiving is a great time for fresh air and a little exercise," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. "Thanksgiving is a time-honored American tradition, and we invite families to create new traditions by enjoying a fee-free day at two of the Northwest's premier national parks."

The parks offer a wide variety of family-friendly outdoors options including beaches, trails through lowland forests and snowshoeing in the mountains.

Despite recent storm impacts, most park areas are scheduled to be open on the day after Thanksgiving. The Olympic National Park Visitor Center will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the Hoh Visitor Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Weather permitting;the Hurricane Ridge Road is scheduled to be open during daylight hours.

"We're calling the day after Thanksgiving 'Green Friday' at Olympic National Park," said Creachbaum.

At Mount Rainier National Park, the Longmire Museum will be open on Friday, November 25, as well as the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise.

Mount Rainier National Park Deputy Superintendent Tracy Swartout said that the park was excited to join with Olympic National Park to offer its thanks to the public on the day after Thanksgiving.

Swartout shared the following: "National Park Service employees and partners work all year to ensure that the country's most treasured places and stories are protected and available for visitors to experience first-hand. This year we want our visitors to know how thankful we are that they also care about their parks."

"We're happy to offer a free visit on "Green Friday" and encourage people to bring friends along, especially if it's their first park visit," Swartout said.

Information about visiting Mount Rainer National Park is available at www.nps.gov/mora. Information about visiting Olympic National Park can be found at www.nps.gov/olym.