MESA VERDE – The National Park Service and Mesa Verde National Park will join the nation in honoring military veterans with free entrance for everyone during the Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 9 -11.

Hallowed places such as Saratoga, Fort McHenry, Vicksburg and the USS Arizona Memorial are among the 94 National Park Service battlefields, military parks, national cemeteries and military-related historical sites that commemorate the service and sacrifice of veterans. National parks preserve American icons like the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and the Liberty Bell, which have inspired generations of troops.

The National Park Service also provides active-duty members of the military and their dependents with an annual national park pass, an $80 value, at no charge. Permanently disabled veterans can receive a free lifetime pass to all parks. The passes provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other federal lands – more than 2,000 in all. The passes can be acquired at any national park that charges an entrance fee.

Information about passes is available at www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.