Visit a national park for free on National Public Lands Day

THE APPROACH TO MIDNIGHT, those last few fanciful minutes, always boasts a certain ensorcelled shimmer, but what will occur at 11:50 p.m. in California on Sept. 22 feels especially interesting. Fall will arrive, officially, meaning that Sept. 23, a Saturday, will be fully steeped in fabulous fall-a-tude. What to do with such a special day, a doorway to a season that is especially beautiful in our national parks? There are so many directions you can take on Sept. 23, but if you take a road to a favorite national park, specifically one that charges an entry fee, you're in for an adventure. For Sept. 23 is National Public Lands Day, and all fee-charging national parks will be free to visit. This definitely means that you can call upon a park that has a special pull on your heart, for some hiking, sightseeing, or picnicking, but you can also find a volunteer meet-up, one that is coming together in honor of the give-back holiday.

THE EMINENT OCCASION... is called "the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort" and plenty of people will swing by a special park to do whatever is needed. The Yosemite Facelift will be happening at points around the national park, giving pitch-inners the chance to de-litter the popular destination after its busy summer season. California Coastal Cleanup Day is Sept. 23, and Redwood National and State Parks, which is always free to visit, will hold a volunteer cleanup at Freshwater Beach in Orick. Your best bet? Find the park near you and check out their site to see what's happening in honor of National Public Lands Day.