On a fee-free day, the entrance fee is waived at every National Park Service site that normally charges one — no pass, no payment at the gate. It's the cheapest way into the parks that cost the most to enter, like Zion, Grand Canyon, Acadia or Yellowstone. It also means those parks are busier than usual, so the trade-off is real.
The 8 fee-free days for 2026
- February 16 — Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday)
- May 25 — Memorial Day
- June 14 — Flag Day (the NPS calendar labels this one "Flag Day/President Trump's birthday")
- July 3–5 — Independence Day weekend (three days)
- August 25 — 110th birthday of the National Park Service
- September 17 — Constitution Day
- October 27 — Theodore Roosevelt's birthday
- November 11 — Veterans Day
Source: nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm, "2026 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks," page last updated January 5, 2026. Eight occasions, ten calendar days.
What the waiver does not cover
So a fee-free day at Rocky Mountain in July still needs a timed-entry permit; a fee-free day at Acadia still needs a Cadillac Summit Road reservation to drive to the summit. The gate is free; the slot is not.
New for 2026: U.S. residents only
Beginning in 2026, the NPS restricts fee-free entrance on these days to U.S. citizens and residents. Non-residents pay the regular entrance fee plus any applicable non-resident fees. This is a change from prior years, when the fee-free days applied to everyone.
This year's list looks different — here's why
If you're working from an older list, note that the 2026 calendar dropped several long-standing fee-free days: Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, the first day of National Park Week in April, Juneteenth, the Great American Outdoors Act anniversary on August 4, and National Public Lands Day in late September are not on the 2026 list. Some travel sites are still publishing the old dates. The eight above are the current, official set.
Which parks it applies to
Only a little over 100 of the more than 400 National Park Service sites charge an entrance fee. The other ~300 — most national monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and battlefields — are free every day of the year, so a fee-free day changes nothing there. Browse the full list, with live open/closed status, in our A–Z park directory.
Making a fee-free day worth it
Go early. Fee-free days pull day-trippers, and the parking lots at popular trailheads fill by mid-morning. Check the park's live status before you drive out — a fee-free day doesn't override a wildfire closure, a snowed-in road, or a government shutdown. Our status map refreshes hourly, and each park page links straight to the official NPS page for that site.
FAQ
When are national parks free in 2026?
February 16, May 25, June 14, July 3–5, August 25, September 17, October 27, and November 11 — eight occasions across ten calendar days.
Is camping free on a fee-free day?
No. Only the entrance fee is waived. Campground fees, reservation fees, and tour fees are all charged as normal.
Do I still need a timed-entry reservation on a fee-free day?
Yes, wherever one is required. The reservation and the entrance fee are separate; the fee-free day only waives the fee.