The National Park Service recently announced its “entrance-fee free” dates for 2025. On these days, the more than 100 park sites that normally charge visitors to enter will offer complimentary admission to everyone. In total, there will be six fee-free days throughout the year.
When are the 2025 free entrance days in national parks?
In 2025, you can visit U.S. national parks for no fee on these dates:
- January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- 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
Note that this waiver does not include fees for activities such as commercial tours, campsites, and third-party concessions, or any timed-entry or reservation fees.
How much do park entrance fees usually cost?
Days with no entrance fee are a perfect opportunity to revisit a favorite park or explore a new one. Of the 419 parks, including historic sites, monuments, rivers, and more, managed by the National Park Service, only 108 charge regular entrance fees—ranging from $10 to $35—that will be waived. This includes popular national parks like Yosemite in California, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Olympic in Washington, Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah, and Acadia in Maine.
Which parks are free year-round?
The U.S. has 63 national parks, and 19 of them are free all the time, including such favorites such as Redwood National Park in California and New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.
Utah’s Arches National Park is home to approximately 2,000 natural sandstone arches.
Photo by Anthony Heflin/Shutterstock
Do any parks still require reservations and timed entry?
Yes. Even if they’re free on special days, some parks are so popular that the National Park Service has instituted a reservation and timed entry system to prevent an overload of car traffic and therefore protect the environment and the animals. Yosemite in California and Arches in Utah are on that list; it’s smart to check the full list of which parks require reservations and how to plan a trip to them.
Which parks are less crowded?
If you’d rather beat the crowds and use this opportunity to explore some less-visited, though equally scenic, national parks, we have a whole list of park dupes and alternatives to get you out to some of the most beautiful and overlooked national parks in the country, including North Cascades National Park instead of Olympic National Park (both in Washington).
For avid parkgoers, the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is only $80 ($20 for seniors; free for active military members) and allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas year-round.
Salt Cottages in Bar Harbor is steeped in classic coastal-Maine decor.
Photo by Miriam Babin
Where are the best places to stay when planning a national park trip?
Not all trips to national parks require roughing it in a campground. Several luxury hotels and creative accommodations have opened right near parks over the years. For example, Firefall Ranch, right outside Yosemite, is a new lodge with historic roots: It was a stop on the original 19th-century stagecoach route to the park. Across the country in Maine, Salt Cottages are just two minutes from Acadia National Park. The 30 stand-alone cottages are right by the water and draw on the charm of coastal-Maine decor (think white picket fences and red-striped awnings). Blackberry Mountain, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is an upscale all-inclusive property with large cottages, multi-room homes, and even 14 tree houses.
Note that historic lodges, like Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone, fill up quickly and must be booked far in advance. As an alternative, consider one of the many charming small towns near national parks; these gateway towns can be just as cool as the parks next door.
This article originally appeared online January 2017; it was most recently updated December 2024, to include current information. Maggie Fuller contributed reporting.
