If you can’t resist being outdoors, you’ll be glad to know that starting Saturday, you won’t have to spend any of the money you’ve earned babysitting, moving lawns, or working part time to visit a National Park. The National Park Service Week free entrance deal runs through April 25.

But did you know that some of the 392 national parks are in the same town or situated right beside colleges? Just think of being able to grab your books and computer and study in a natural setting once you get to campus, or spend the weekend hiking or camping out with friends, which will be a nice break from dorm life.

Some of the students I know are planning a park trip during reading day this semester to take a break from studying. Some professors may bring their classes to the park or teach entire courses in a National Park.You’ll also find that some Earth Day events at some of the parks, too.

Here’s a look at a few colleges near National Parks.

Lincoln Memorial University: This school is in Harrogate, TN, where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia merge at the Cumberland Gap. The 1,000-acre campus is in a wooded setting, with the Cumberland Gap mountains a backdrop. Its 3,948 students (as of Fall 2009) can embrace the setting by spending time in the caves and other sights at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

National Park Community College: The name of this Hot Springs, AK school gives it away. Its nearly 3,000 students per semester get to take advantage of Hot Springs National Park, America’s oldest national park, which draws tourists seeking a dip in its healing waters (the park is nicknamed “The American Spa”). The school offers two-year associates’ degrees and one-year technical certificates.

Fresno State: The 21,500-plus students at this California university benefit from learning at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with amazing waterfalls and canyons nearby. “Living in Fresno gives me the opportunity to be at the tallest waterfall in North America or the deepest canyon,” student Darrick Yray tells The Collegian Online. It’s about two hours from Yosemite National Park, home to Yosemite Falls, the country’s largest waterfall. “It’s an amazing visit to the Redwoods in Yosemite that has a big hollow space that’s wide enough to fit a car through,” student Amber DeAnda tells the paper.

Peninsula College: It’s common for students and their professors at this Port Angeles, WA school to leave campus and take trips to Olympic National Park, the ocean, or rain forests to weave academics into the outdoors. The 75-acre campus, which has about 10,00 students pursuing associates’ degrees and vocational certificates, is in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains.

If you’re headed to any National Parks this spring or summer, maybe it’s worth checking out the nearby colleges and universities, because those locations and academic offerings may be a good fit for you!

–Lori Johnston. Additional reporting by Delaney Young.