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Fees · 4 min read

National park fee-free days

Last verified
On a handful of days each year, national parks waive entrance fees. From 2026 the free days are for US citizens and residents only. Here's the list.

Every fee-free day in 2026

On these days, every National Park Service site that normally charges an entrance fee waives it for US citizens and residents. Here are all 8 of them, straight from nps.gov, with the next one highlighted.

  1. Feb16Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday)Monday · passed
  2. May25Memorial DayMonday · passed
  3. Jun14Flag Day/President Trump's birthdaySunday · passed
  4. Jul3–5Independence Day weekendFriday to Sunday · passed
  5. Aug25110th Birthday of the National Park ServiceTuesday · passed
  6. Sep17Constitution DayThursday · passed
  7. Oct27Theodore Roosevelt's birthdayTuesdayNext up
  8. Nov11Veterans DayWednesday

Source: the “2026 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks” list on nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm (page updated January 5, 2026). Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth are not on it.

Who gets in free

US citizens and permanent residents. That's the big change for 2026. nps.gov is explicit: “Beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees.”

The NPS nonresident FAQ (updated July 15, 2026) says the same thing: “Beginning in 2026, fee free days at national parks will only be for U.S. residents. Non-U.S. residents will have to pay the entrance fee and nonresident fee as normal.” At the 11 busiest parks that means the entrance fee plus $100 per person aged 16 and older, even on a free day, unless you have the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass.

Heads-up: nps.gov contradicts itself

The same passes page still opens its fee-free section with an older line saying parks “will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply)”. The residents-only rule is stated twice on that page and again in the nonresident FAQ, so plan on it. Visiting from abroad? Our guide for international visitors has the full fee picture.

What free entry doesn't cover

A fee-free day waives the entrance fee. Everything else is business as usual:

  • Reservations and timed entry. nps.gov says other fees, “including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply.” Haleakalā spells it out: “Fee-free entrance days do not include sunrise reservations or admittance to the park between the hours of 3:00 am-7:00 am.” See which parks need a booking in our 2026 reservations guide.
  • Camping, tours and permits are priced separately from entrance. Zion's Angels Landing lottery, for example, costs $6 to enter whatever the date.
  • Crowds. Free days often land on holiday weekends. If you can, pick a quieter month with the crowd calendar.

Going to three or more parks this year? The free days are nice, but the $80 annual pass may save more.

Parks that are free every day

You don't need a fee-free day for these: NPS fee data lists no entrance fee at 23 national park units (checked October 1, 2026). Free entry isn't free everything: Gateway Arch, for one, sells tickets for its tram to the top.

What about 2027?

As of October 1, 2026, nps.gov lists only the 2026 dates. The NPS hasn't published 2027 fee-free days yet, and we won't guess. When the list goes up, it'll be on nps.gov's passes page, and on this page soon after.

Sources · 4

  1. 1.Entrance Passes (nps.gov) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
  2. 2.Nonresident Fees (nps.gov) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
  3. 3.NPS Data API — /feespasses (entrance fees, park passes, timed entry) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
  4. 4.Haleakalā: fees and passes · National Park Service

FAQ

Common questions

When is the next national park fee-free day?
October 27, 2026: Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. Free entrance applies to US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents pay the regular entrance fee and any nonresident fee.
How many fee-free days are there in 2026?
8 occasions, 10 days in all (Independence Day weekend counts as three): February 16 (Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday)), May 25 (Memorial Day), June 14 (Flag Day/President Trump's birthday), July 3–5 (Independence Day weekend), August 25 (110th Birthday of the National Park Service), September 17 (Constitution Day), October 27 (Theodore Roosevelt's birthday), November 11 (Veterans Day).
Do international visitors get in free on fee-free days?
No, not from 2026. nps.gov: "Free entrance days only apply to US citizens and permanent residents. Nonresidents must pay entrance and any nonresident fees unless they have the Non-Resident Annual Pass."
Are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth fee-free days in 2026?
Neither appears on the 2026 list on nps.gov. The 8 dates are: February 16, May 25, June 14, July 3–5, August 25, September 17, October 27, November 11.
Which national parks are always free?
23 national park units charge no entrance fee at all, according to NPS fee data, including American Samoa, Biscayne, Channel Islands, Congaree, Cuyahoga Valley. The full list is on this page.
Do fee-free days cover camping or timed-entry reservations?
No. The free day covers the entrance fee. nps.gov notes that other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply. At Haleakalā, for example, fee-free days don't include sunrise reservations.

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