• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Park Ranger John

  • Home
  • About
    • About Park Ranger John
    • Contact Park Ranger John
    • Advertise/PR
    • Disclosure
  • US National Parks
    • List of National Parks by State
    • National Historic Sites
    • National Historical Parks
    • National Memorials
    • National Monuments
    • National Seashores
    • List of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order
  • National Park Lodges
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • US National Parks
  • Cruise Travel
  • State Parks
  • Recipes
×

Published: Jan 2, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links

Free National Park Days 2023

When are the Free National Park Days? There are five days during the year that the National Park Service waives entrance fees. These are great days to check out a park that normally 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!

US National Park Free Days text printed over a photo of Mount Rainier and Reflection Lake

2023 Free National Park Day

Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates in 2023! The free entry day is a great opportunity to visit one of the beautiful National Parks in the United States.

Why not visit a new place, explore America's best idea and visit one of the amazing National Park Sites listed below. 

As a frequent visitor of parks we love sharing these amazing places with you! 

The free entrance days for 2023 are: 

  • January 16: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • April 22: First day of National Park Week
  • August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 23: 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 camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.

If you want to visit a National Park outside of the 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 along with working 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 for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

There are 309 NPS sites that 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.

Snow Covered mountains in Denali National Park with tundra below

Mountains in Denali National Park, Alaska

Below is a current list of U.S. National Parks and historic sites that will be offering free admission during specific days of the year.

There are many parks in the National Park system that are free year-round. 

Alaska

  • Denali National Park & Preserve

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

  • Fort Smith National Historic Site
  • Pea Ridge National Military Park
Visitors looking out at Half Dome from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park

Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California

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

  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Colorado National Monument
  • Dinosaur National Monument
  • Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
  • Hovenweep National Monument
  • Mesa Verde National Park
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
Alligator in the water in Everglades NP

Alligator, Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida

Florida

  • Canaveral National Seashore
  • Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
  • Dry Tortugas National Park
  • Everglades National Park
  • Gulf Islands National Seashore

Georgia

  • Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
  • Cumberland Island National Seashore
  • Fort Pulaski National Monument
  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Dark lava stone in a crater in Volcanoes National Park

Lua Manu, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Hawai'i

  • Haleakalā National Park
  • Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
  • Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

Idaho

  • Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
  • Yellowstone National Park
Jordon Pond with rocks and a reflection in Acadia National Park

Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine

Maine

  • Acadia National Park

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
Wooden boardwalk leading to the water in Sleeping Bear Dunes

Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach, Michigan

Michigan

  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sunset over the waves in Gulf Islands National Seashore

Sunset at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Mississippi

  • Gulf Islands National Seashore
  • Vicksburg National Military Park

Missouri

  • Gateway Arch National Park 
  • Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Mountain Goat on a rock ledge in Glacier National Park

Mountain Goat, Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana

Montana

  • Glacier National Park
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
  • Yellowstone National Park

Nevada

  • Death Valley National Park
  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Abraham Lincoln Statue in Saint Gaudens National Historical Park

Abraham Lincoln Statue, Saint Gaudens National Historical Park, New Hampshire

New Hampshire

  • Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

New Jersey

  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Pueblo Bonita historic ruins in Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Pueblo Bonita, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico

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
Wright brothers statue with an airplane in Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wright Brothers Memorial, North Carolina

North Carolina

  • Wright Brothers National Memorial

North Dakota

  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Ohio

  • Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial

Oklahoma

  • Fort Smith National Historic Site
Snow covered island in Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Oregon

  • Crater Lake National Park
  • Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Puerto Rico

  • San Juan National Historic Site

South Carolina

  • Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Road leading through Badlands National Park

Scenic Drive at Badlands National Park, South Dakota

South Dakota

  • Badlands National Park

Tennessee

  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Texas

  • Big Bend National Park
  • Fort Davis National Historic Site
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
  • Padre Island National Seashore
Scenic view of Bryce Canyon Amphitheater with hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon Amphitheater of Hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

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

 

Black Bear crossing the road in Mount Rainier National Park

Black Bear in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

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
Winding river views with Teton Mountain range in the background in Grand Teton National Park

Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wyoming

    • Devils Tower National Monument
    • Grand Teton National Park
    • Yellowstone National Park

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 full listing of every NPS Site available so you can plan an amazing visit to our US National Parks.

If you are looking at visiting 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. 

« Fort Bowie National Historic Site - Arizona
Poverty Point National Monument - Louisiana »

Filed Under: Travel, US National Parks

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Photobucket
Hi, I'm Park Ranger John and I am so happy you are here!  I have been a Park Ranger for almost 20 years and can't wait to share with you National Park Travel Tips, Recipes, and so much more!
Learn more about Park Ranger John.

PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Footer

Follow on:

PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Great Resources

How to Become a Park Ranger

Printable list of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order

Printable List of all 424 US National Park Sites

 

Top National Park Tips

  • US National Park List
  • 13 Hikes in Zion National Park
  • Muir Woods National Monument
  • Zion National Park Camping
  • 7 Epic Hikes in Arches National Park
  • Crater Lake Camping
  • Things to do in Petrified Forest National Park
  • Arches National Park Camping
  • Things to do in Yellowstone

Copyright© 2023 · Tammilee Tips® LLC