DNR offers free admission to parks Saturday
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is encouraging family outdoor activities Saturday by offering free admission to state parks and recreation areas.
The annual DNR promotion is part of National Get Outdoors Day.
Surveys found that people wanted more online trip-planning tools, said Courtland Nelson, director of the DNR's parks and trails division. So the DNR is unveiling virtual tours online with 360-degree panoramic photos of 74 parks.
Patricia Arndt, parks and trails division outreach manager, said thousands of families have visited parks on previous free admission events.
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Arndt said all the parks are ready for the summer.
"We recommend that people go online to check before they go," Arndt said, "because we keep that updated if there are any parts of a trail or portions of park that might be closed. But as of right now, everything is open and ready for people to use. And we've got staff out there with big smiles on their faces just ready to greet people and help them have a great time in the outdoors."
Arndt added: "This is great time. School is over or just about over, and it's a great time for families to get out and enjoy hiking, biking, fishing or whatever they like to do outdoors."
The DNR is also offering a wide range of naturalist programs at state parks throughout the day, Arndt said.
