National Parks free through weekend to celebrate 100th birthday

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- If you want to go to Muir Woods or even Yosemite this weekend there's good news, it's free from Thursday through Sunday and it's all to celebrate a big milestone for the national parks.

The Bay Area's natural beauty should be enough incentive to get out and go check it out. But this weekend there's another reason to do some sightseeing. The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees in honor of the parks' 100th birthday.

"We are asking for a present. We want people to come visit. And we want people to bring someone with them," said Nathan Sargent with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Some visitors didn't even realize one of the free spots is on Fisherman's Wharf, the Maritime National Historical Park.

"When I think of national parks, I think of forests so guess I will partake in the national parks celebration," said Massachusetts resident Tim Daost.

"We are spoiled in Bay Area to have a dozen from Point Reyes and Pinnacles National Park," Sargent said.

That includes majestic Muir Woods in Marin County and the Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond. Park employees celebrated with a birthday cake at the Golden Gate Bridge and hope you will decide to celebrate this weekend, too.

"I think it's amazing because in this modern day of technology people live in this space, so to get more people out into the wilderness or out in their community to see things like this I think is a wonderful thing," Daost added.

The National Parks Service has launched a new app in celebration of their 100th birthday. It works for iPhones and it will help people to explore new parks of the park or trails.