Admission to Mesa Verde National Park will be free to the public during National Park week, April 22-26.

The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation join together each year to celebrate National Park Week, and entrance fees are waived to all NPS unites that charge an entrance fee.

"This is a great time for families to visit their national parks," said Mesa Verde Superintendent Cliff Spencer. "We hope free entrance will encourage locals and those from out of the area alike to explore Mesa Verde National Park and all it has to offer."

Addition fee-free days for 2012 for NPS units are Aug. 25 (National Park Service Birthday), Sept. 2 (National Public Lands Day) and Nov. 9-11 (Veterans Day weekend).

Additional information on visiting Mesa Verde may be obtained on the park's website at www.nps.gov/meve or by calling the park's main information line at (970) 529-4465.