Mainers With Loon Plates Get Into State Parks Free Sunday

Simply having loon license plates on your vehicle scores you free admission to many state parks in Maine this weekend.

Mainers with valid loon conservation license plates on their vehicle can get into many state parks Sunday, July 18. According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, "free admission is a thank you to everyone who purchases this special plate! Maine Loon license plates support conservation efforts of both Maine's State Parks and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife."

While most state parks are participating the following are not:

• Acadia National Park
• Allagash Wilderness Waterway
• Baxter State Park
• Peacock Beach
• The Maine Wildlife Park
• Scarborough Beach State Park
• Swan Island
• Penobscot River Corridor
• Penobscot Narrows Observatory

Although visitation fees remain in place for a trip to the top of the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, entry to Fort Knox will be free on loon plate day.

Maine Loon plates cost $20. Of that, $8.40 goes to the Bureau of Parks and Lands, $5.60 goes to Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the remaining $6 goes to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. These special plates can be purchased online, your local town hall or vehicle registration office.

Occasionally, entry to Acadia National Park is free for all. The next opportunity to explore the park for free is coming up in August.

Acadia National Park 2021 Fee-Free Days:

• August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• August 25: National Park Service Birthday
• September 25: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

Fee-free days do not cover amenities or use fees for activities like camping, boat launch use, transportation, or special tours.