Opt out of Black Friday and visit a national park for free instead

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Opt out of Black Friday and visit a national park for free instead
Olympic National Park. Slightly prettier than the inside of a big box store. Credit: Danita Delimont/Getty Images

Retailer REI announced in October it would close its stores on Black Friday -- falling this year on Nov. 27 -- and instead encourage people to #optoutside.

Nearly 1 million people have since joined in on the idea, sharing photos and ideas of what they're going to do instead of spending hours in store lines.

To make opting out more attractive, several parks are waiving entry fees for the day, including redwood state parks and two national parks in Washington state.

"The day after Thanksgiving is a great time for fresh air and a little exercise," said Sarah Creachbaum, superintendent at Olympic National Park. "Thanksgiving is a time-honored American tradition, and we invite families to create new traditions by enjoying a fee-free day at two of the Northwest's premier national parks."

Washington's National Park Fund is offering free entrance to Mt. Rainier and Olympic.

Instead of going shopping on Friday, get outside - experience nature and wildness #OptOutside pic.twitter.com/O66HIE03eB— Cerys Trayner (@CerysTrayner) November 23, 2015

When the stars are out in Utah, THEY ARE OUT! Another reason to camp outside in this cold weather. #optoutside @rei pic.twitter.com/vz4Y4bISMo— John Knopf (@JohnKnopfPhotos) November 23, 2015

Forget shopping! Here are 7 great public lands to explore Thanksgiving week https://t.co/Rh4jhCmQ0s #OptOutside pic.twitter.com/g834uvddSJ— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) November 23, 2015

In California, the Save the Redwoods League is offering passes to many different parks. They're first come, first serve, since there are limited passes for each park.

Also, all state parks in Minnesota, Delaware, Colorado and Oregon are waiving fees.

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