Kansas state parks offer free admission for those who #OptOutside on Black Friday

By: Sherman Smith - Thursday November 25, 2021 10:30 am

Kansas state parks offer free admission for those who #OptOutside on Black Friday

By: Sherman Smith - 10:30 am

Entrance fees will be waived Friday for state parks. Pictured is Clinton State Park near Lawrence. (Jill Hummels for Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — The 28 state parks in Kansas will participate in a nationwide outdoors promotion by waiving entry fees on Friday.

Visitors also can get a shot at winning a free night’s stay in a state park cabin by sharing a selfie from one of the parks on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the tags #OptOutside and #MyKsStatePark.

“Being outside in nature does wonders for our physical and mental health, so I hope everyone opts to go outside this year and enjoy a Kansas state park as part of their holiday experience,” said Linda Lanterman, the state parks director.

Visitors to state parks can win a free night’s stay in a cabin by sharing a selfie on social media with the tags #OptOutside and #MyKsStatePark. (Jill Hummels for Kansas Reflector)

The #OptOutside campaign began in 2015 when retail company REI closed its doors on Black Friday and paid employees to spend the day outside instead. State parks across the country now offer free admission every year on Black Friday to promote the outdoors and nature.

Residents can find a directory of state parks at www.ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks.

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Sherman Smith

Sherman Smith is the Kansas Press Association’s journalist of the year. He has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He previously spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal. A lifelong Kansan, he graduated from Emporia State University in 2004 as a Shepherd Scholar with a degree in English.