Florida State Parks will offer free admission to all visitors on Veterans Day, November 11. The initiative is organized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to honor U.S. Armed Forces veterans.
DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert said, “This Veterans Day and every day, we honor our nation’s veterans and sincerely thank them for their selflessness and service. Spending time outdoors in our state parks allows us to take in the wonder of nature and reflect on the lands, values and, most importantly, the people they fought to protect.”
Several state parks have historical connections to military service. Avalon State Park in St. Lucie County was once a World War II training camp for Frogmen who later became U.S. Navy SEALs. General James A. Van Fleet State Trail in Polk County is named after a decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War who graduated from West Point alongside Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley in 1915. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Baker County marks the site where the 54th Massachusetts Regiment fought during the Battle of Olustee. Orman House Historic State Park in Franklin County features a bronze replica of the Three Servicemen Statue from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
In addition to free admission on Veterans Day, Florida State Parks provide ongoing benefits for service members and their families, such as a 25% discount on annual entrance passes for active-duty personnel and honorably discharged veterans, as well as free lifetime military entrance passes for veterans with service-connected disabilities or surviving family members of those killed in combat.
The Skyway Fishing Pier State Park is excluded from this offer; other fees for accommodations or rentals still apply.
More information about these programs can be found at FloridaStateParks.org/learn/Florida-State-Parks-Appreciate-Veterans.
