Free Admission to National Parks

Hint…the first one is January 20! Start making plans to take advantage of this amazing program when Uncle Sam throws open the gates to so many of our nation treasures. Photo of Arches National Park, courtesy of Jacob W. Frank

Arches National Park is a red rock wonderland with amazing landscapes of contrasting colors, landforms, and textures unlike any other in the world. (Photo by Jacob W. Frank)

Plan to enjoy free admission to our National Parks on these days:

January 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 15-17 Presidents Day weekend
April 19-20 opening weekend of National Park Week
August 25 National Park Service Birthday
September 27 National Public Lands Day
November 11 Veterans Day

Only 133 of our country’s 401 national parks usually charge an entrance fee. See the list of parks participating in free days here. So start Planning Your Visit to Carlsbad Caverns, Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Padre Island, Cape Cod, even the Grand Canyon!

If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, you might consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other Federal lands-more than 2,000 in all. The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active duty military members and their dependents to lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service. The Program also offers a free lifetime pass for people with disabilities, a $10 lifetime senior pass for those age 62 and over. Information on these and other pass options is available online.

And, in fact, many parks do not charge any entrance fees year-round. So, there are many ways to plan a fantastic national park excursion without breaking the bank.

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.