In honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Angeles National Forest offers visitors a “fee free” day next Monday (Jan. 20). The normally required National Forest Adventure Pass will be waived. Visitors are urged to avoid areas closed during the Colby Fire, north of Azusa and Glendora.

“In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr., we would like to encourage people to use this fee-free day to get outdoors and enjoy the wonderful recreational opportunities on the Angeles National Forest,” said Thomas A. Contreras, forest supervisor.

Visitors who inadvertently use a Daily Adventure Pass can have it replaced free of charge. Although the Adventure Pass fee will be waived, campground, reservation, group-site, and concession fees may still be in effect. Angeles officials recommend that all visitors practice the Know Before you Go guidelines and visit our website for updates on current conditions and closures athttp://www.fs.usda.gov/angeles/

Fee-free days will be offered on multiple occasions this year, including Presidents Day weekend (Feb. 15-17), National Get Outdoors Day (June 14), National Public Lands Day (Sept. 27) and Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 8-11). The fee-waiver days support the goals of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside by actively supporting and promoting programs, projects and initiatives that encourage use of the outdoors by the public. The waivers allow people to explore our nation’s forests, which offer a wide range of recreation and educational benefits such as improved physical and mental health, emotional well being, concern for nature and a conservation ethic.