Free Entrance Days at US National Parks
Celebrate the coast-to-coast natural beauty of the USA with a trip to your favorite National Park on special dates when no entrance fee is required!
US National Parks Free Entrance Days
There are currently seven fee-free National Park days each year, plus certain groups of people qualify for a free annual pass! Learn more about these great opportunities to experience places like Georgia’s National Parks or other internationally famous sites like the Everglades, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and many more!
Find a park near you / your vacation site with this National Park Service online tool.
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How to Get Free Entrance to US National Parks
Enjoy the parks of your choice with no entrance fees on select dates!
The Free Entrance Days in 2025 occur on:
- Thursday, January 9: National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter Jr.
- Monday, January 20*: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Saturday, April 19: First day of National Park Week
- Thursday, June 19*: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Monday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Saturday, September 27*: National Public Lands Day
- Tuesday, November 11*: Veterans Day
Dates marked above with an asterisk (*) are days when visitors can also receive free entrance to US National Forest Sites!
Grab your backpack and action camera, and choose a National Park for your next free visit!
Free US National Park Passes
In addition to the Free Entrance Days available to everyone without advance signup, there are also other ways to get free entrance into the US National Parks. Check out these programs to see if you qualify for a free pass!
Free Every Kid in a Park Program
Families with kids are invited to participate in the “Every Kid in a Park” program when they have a child in the 4th grade. Learn more below about this great program for kids and their families.
All 4th graders are invited to get a free annual National Parks Pass from the “Every Kid in a Park” program!
Every Kid in a Park – Free Parks Pass for 4th Graders
Fourth graders can bring family and friends on adventures free for a full year with the Every Kid in a Park pass. Sign up in August to take advantage of a full year of free admission to all of the National Parks (you can sign up any time of the year, but the program only lasts through August)!
Free Pass for Veterans and Gold Star Families
Free National Parks Pass for Military
Beginning on Veterans Day 2020, Gold Star Families and Military Veterans are eligible for free access to National Parks, Department of the Interior agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Current U.S. military members(and their dependents) in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserve, and National Guard are eligible for a free annual pass. Obtain this pass with a valid ID at one of the federal recreation sites that issue free passes. Veterans may simply show valid identification to gain free access.
Gold Star Families must download a Free Access Voucher and follow instructions to receive free access to these sites.
Free Access Pass
U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities are eligible for a free pass with documentation of permanent disability and residency or citizenship. Obtain the free access pass in person, online, or via mail (note that using online or mail requires a $10 processing fee).
Free Volunteer Pass
Volunteers with at least 250 service hours (with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program) are eligible for a free 12-month Volunteer Pass. Visit Volunteer.gov or contact your local federal recreation site for more information about volunteer opportunities.
Discounted US National Park Passes
Free Entrance Days National Parks
For those who do not qualify for the free pass programs above, discounted passes to National Parks are also available to senior citizens!
Discounted Senior National Park Pass
Discounted National Park passes are also available for seniors aged 62+. Applicant must provide documentation of age and residency or citizenship. Seniors may choose either a discounted annual pass for $20 or a discounted lifetime pass for $80.
These discounted annual park passes will likely pay for themselves after the first park visit!
Tips for Enjoying US National Park Visits
Be sure to take provisions suitable for your National Park adventure, including water, a backpack with snacks, a compass and map, sunscreen, and a camera to record your memories! The correct gear will make all the difference in your enjoyment of your park visit(s). If you stay within Georgia, you’ll have different needs from someone on a trip to a more extreme environment like Alaska or Hawaii.
Find Great National Parks to Visit
Browse the list of National Parks in Georgia (including the multi-state Appalachian Trail), or learn more about all of the 400+ park sites within the National Park Service.
Appalachian Trail in Georgia – one of the many beautiful US National Parks
I have traveled to all 50 states and have visited over 40 of our US National Parks — I can confirm that these national treasures contain some of the nation’s most beautiful places! I cannot recommend them enough.
My favorite parks include Hawai’i Volcanoes, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, New River Gorge, Badlands, and Zion. The parks that are still on my list of National Parks to visit include Joshua Tree, Saguaro, Crater Lake, and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Follow Smart Safety Guidelines
Make sure your group stays comfortable by following simple and smart safety guidelines.
Stay Hydrated and Nourished
Be sure to drink enough water and fluids and have some high-energy snacks throughout the day. These items should travel well at the park.
Choose Appropriate Footwear
Be sure to take appropriate footwear that has been previously worn/broken in.
Layer Your Clothing
Research the weather and the conditions of the park that you will be visiting. Dress in layers of comfortable, moisture-wicking, or fast-dry clothing to adjust to changing conditions throughout the day.
Be Comfortable
A little planning can help you be more comfortable as you explore the park. Take items like water shoes, extra dry socks, SPF lip balm, and hair ties in your pack to ensure the most comfort in the park.
Stay Protected
Be aware of your surroundings and stay alert to changing conditions. Stay on the marked trails and be prepared for common surprises.
Be Prepared
Keep basic first aid and emergency supply items on you to make sure you can best handle any emergency.
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Free National Park Entrance
For more about great parks in the area, see the GaMountainsGuide.com post about the national, state, and local parks in the Georgia mountains. What are your favorite parks to visit on these free entrance days?
Thanks for the information you have shared – going to a National Park or to one of the National Forest Sites right now is really a nice idea. It’s timely to have the option to do something this nice without having to pay the entrance fee for the National Parks, which can be fairly high at some places. Are they expected to be busy for the National Public Lands Day promotion?
Hi Justin,
The parks do generally welcome more visitors on the free entrance days, but it’s hard to predict what may happen in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic has altered travel plans for people worldwide. I would advise that you plan for the parks to be busy, and try to do your most exciting park visits early in the day before the biggest crowds arrive.
Good ones to see here. It is quite fascinating that I have never gone to the park on any of these days before. Probably maybe when I was younger, I light have but I never knew these days were totally free. It could be a good way to inhale new breath and explore life in its entirety all over again after the incessant waves of this virus. Thanks here
Wow, this is very nice. I mean the possibility foe to enter the us national parks on this days is so cool and it is something that I should want to give a go. I’d didn’t know so much about the free days but now that I have read this, I am willing to go there and have a good time just for free. Thanks!
Going to the Park is a really good idea, it helps you get utmost fun and you can always spend quality fun time with your family and loved ones too. Free entrance days at the Uas parks are really nice and they are gonna witness a really large turnup in populations for those days thanka for Thai information.
For really your article has been enjoyable and interesting from the start to its end because you have described well the fee free entrance days at US national parks and one of the days surprisingly is my Wife’s birthday and that is 18th April 2020 for really I didn’t know that its a public holiday in US so am willing to pay a visit on that day with her. Thanks very much
Hi Mugalu, How wonderful that the 2020 free day for the start of US National Park Week happens to be on your wife’s birthday? Personally I think that a birthday spent enjoying any of the parks is a great way to spend the day!!
Great thank you so much for informing us on free entrance days as US national parks, at my own end I and my family have always wanted to visit some of the US national parks but due to entrance fees and transportation and all the other stuff we have not been able to do so.well with this knowledge I’ve gotten now,we have to take advantage of this free entrance days and visit as many as we want thank you again for sharing this with us.
You are most welcome!
Hello Alyce!
I am not from the USA, but obviously and surely there are lots of beauties to see within the large areas of the US national parks. Being able to make it for free several days a year is a great deal and people who love nature should not let these occasions go.
It is enough to see your first “Every kid in a park” picture, that first one with the mountains under the evening sun, and realize how beautiful American landscapes can be.
Have good luck in your nature trips!
Peter
Hi Peter, Even if you are not from the USA, it’s a wonderful place to visit and the National Parks are some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. As beautiful as these iconic landscapes are in photos, they are much more spectacular in person. I hope you get a chance to visit soon!
Hi there,
Wow, excellent article, I loved the reading!
We are planning a trip in November 2020 to the US, so I am afraid I will miss the opportunity to enjoy a free entrance to the National park this year. But, you mentioned in the article that there is a free entrance every year, right? Will it be on the same date? It would be beneficial to know so I can plan my trip accordingly.
Thank you for the useful post!
Hi Daniella, The dates currently posted are for the free entrance days in 2020, which does include one in November (Veterans Day, November 11)!
This is in interesting I never new parks had free entrance days,and I would love to advantage of it and visit this place is during these periods of time and I hope the number of days are increase to maybe once a month because it will help us be able to connect with nature in its diversity.
Hi David, It would be great to have even more of the free days at US National Parks, but at least these 5 dates each year are a step in the right direction.
There are some parks that do not charge any fee and are free all year round including the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the TN / NC border.