Free admission at LI state parks on Black Friday, Cuomo says
Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River is free to the public on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. Credit: Randee Daddona
Making it easier for New Yorkers to burn off calorie-rich Thanksgiving dinners, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday said all state parks will let visitors in for free on the day after the national holiday.
A majority of state parks stop charging admission in autumn, so the offer only applies to parks that do collect fees, including two on Long Island: Oakdale’s Connetquot River State Park Preserve and Great River’s Bayard Cutting Arboretum, he said.
Connetquot usually charges $8 per vehicle, its website says. From April through November, Bayard collects $8 per vehicle on weekends and holidays, its website says.
The goal, Cuomo said, is to “encourage families, nature-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike to enjoy the unparalleled natural beauty right in their backyards.”
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown, which stopped charging entrance fees last month, is offering family hikes on Friday, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the parks department said.
Registration is required. The preserve’s telephone number is 631-265-1054.
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