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MPR News Staff

Black Friday freebie: Minnesota state parks waive entry fee

Telescopic view
Minnesota officials are encouraging folks to spend time outdoors on Black Friday. Entrance fees to state parks and recreation areas will be waived Nov. 27. Here, a lone tree is seen through a telescope viewfinder at Blue Mounds State Park.
Jackson Forderer | For MPR News 2014

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Tired of spending cash on Black Friday? Spend some time outdoors, then. Minnesota officials say entrance fees to all 76 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas will be waived Nov. 27.

On most days, the state charges $5 for a daily vehicle permit, including motorcycles. Officials said they waived the fee to encourage Minnesotans to spend time outdoors, and with family, on the day after Thanksgiving, a day now considered the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

"On Thanksgiving Day, the average American consumes around 4,500 calories. A brisk walk can burn about 300 calories in one hour," the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said in a statement Friday announcing the fee waiver.

The Weather Channel's long range forecast expects Twin Cities weather to be partly cloudy and a degree or two above freezing on Nov. 27. Duluth's projected at 28 degrees, and a little more cloudy.

The department says there is a Minnesota state park within 30 miles of almost everyone, although the agency on Friday offered no advice on how to pry friends and relatives off the couch.