In honor of Veterans’ Day, National Parks and Forests all across the country will be waiving entrance fees in their final Fee-Free Weeekend of 2012. That includes Sequoia, Joshua Tree, and Yosemite National Parks as well as the Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland, and Los Padres National Forests, so there’s no excuse not to tackle a good trail this weekend!

If the low costs weren’t enough to encourage you, the recent rainstorms here in SoCal should – the mountains out here are absolutely STUNNING in the day or two after a rain – the chaparral and California bay are fragrant, the air is crisp and cool, and the views seem to go on forever. Here’s a view from a trip I took to Sandstone Peak the day after a rain, just to give you an idea:

For a bit of inspiration, here’s a post I did a while back on some of the best post-rain hikes around Los Angeles – so get out there and hike! And thank a veteran while you’re at it!

Tags: fee free weekend, Hiking, Los Angeles, post-rain hikes, southern california, veterans day