It never fails that I get asked when the next Free National Park Day is, so here is the update you have been waiting for. The National Park Service waives entrance fees for five days during the year. These are great days to check out a park that usually charges an entrance fee.
It is worth noting that only 110 of the 424 National Park Service sites charge a fee! If you have an NPS site near you, it is worth checking to see if they charge an entrance fee!
2025 Free National Park Day
Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates in 2025! They are an excellent opportunity to visit one of the National Parks in the United States without having to pay the entrance fee.
This is a great opportunity to explore America's best idea and visit one of the fantastic National Park Sites listed below.
Free National Park entrance days for 2025 are:
- January 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 19: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 27: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
The entrance fee waiver for entrance fee-free days does not cover amenities or user fees for activities such as lodging, camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
If you want to visit a National Park outside Free National Park Days, we highly suggest buying a National Park Annual Pass. These Federal Recreational Lands Pass get you into any of the 424 National Park Service Sites and work at over 2,000 recreation sites that charge a daily park admission fee.
The park pass covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.
309 NPS sites do not charge an entrance fee. They are open to all visitors for free.
These 110 National Park Service sites normally charge an entrance fee, which is waived during Free National Park Days.
Along with the America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, four additional passes are available to qualified individuals.
- Senior Annual Pass for US Citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old
- Senior Lifetime pass for US Citizens and permanent residents 62+ years old
- Military Annual Pass for current US Military and dependants
- Military Lifetime Pass for Gold Star Family Members and Veterans
- Access Pass for US citizens and permanent residents with permanent disability
- 4th Grade Pass for US 4th Graders
- Volunteer Pass for Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 hours of service.
These passes cover the entrance fees and standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at lands managed by
- National Park Service
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
- US Army Corps of Engineers
Below is a current list of U.S. National Parks and historic sites offering free admission during specific days of the year listed above.
Alaska
Arizona
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Pipe Spring National Monument
- Saguaro National Park
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Tonto National Monument
- Tumacácori National Historical Park
- Tuzigoot National Monument
- Walnut Canyon National Monument
- Wupatki National Monument
Arkansas
California
- Cabrillo National Monument
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lava Beds National Monument
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Pinnacles National Park
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
- Yosemite National Park
Colorado
Maine
Maryland
- Antietam National Battlefield
- Assateague Island National Seashore
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
- Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Massachusetts
- Adams National Historical Park
- Cape Cod National Seashore
Nevada
- Death Valley National Park
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area
New Hampshire
New Jersey
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park
New Mexico
- Bandelier National Monument
- Capulin Volcano National Monument
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
- White Sands National Park
New York
- Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
- Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
- Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
Oklahoma
Oregon
Puerto Rico
- San Juan National Historic Site
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
- Big Bend National Park
- Fort Davis National Historic Site
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Padre Island National Seashore
Utah
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Golden Spike National Historical Park
- Hovenweep National Monument
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Zion National Park
Virgin Islands
- Christiansted National Historic Site
Virginia
- Assateague Island National Seashore
- Colonial National Historical Park
- George Washington Memorial Parkway's Great Falls Park
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
- Prince William Forest Park
- Shenandoah National Park
Washington
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Olympic National Park
West Virginia
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Wyoming
We hope this list helps you make the most of the Free National Park Days. Don't miss our printable checklist of National Parks so you can document all the parks you have visited.
We have a complete listing of every NPS Site available so you can plan a fantastic visit to our US National Parks.
If you are looking to visit multiple parks during the year, check out this blog post about the America The Beautiful - National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass so you can plan your trip.
There are specific park passes for Gold Star Families, fourth graders, military veterans, senior citizens, current members of the military, and more.
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