Fee-free days at national parks are one of the few universally loved perks in this country — no coupons, no apps, no fine print. Just show up and enjoy the view. But next year, the National Park Service is shaking up the calendar, and two staple dates are quietly disappearing: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. Replacing them is a new batch of what the NPS is referring to as “patriotic fee-free days.” It’s… a shift.
What’s Changing With the New Calendar?
Starting January 1, the updated fee-free list will no longer include MLK Day or Juneteenth. Instead, visitors will get free entrance on:
- June 14 (Flag Day — which also happens to be President Trump’s birthday)
- August 25 (NPS 110th anniversary)
- September 17 (Constitution Day)
- October 27 (Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday)
Nothing dramatically changes about the parks themselves — just the dates when you get in without opening your wallet. Still, the selections raised a few eyebrows simply because the swaps feel … pointed, even if they’re framed as patriotic.
International Visitors, Take Note
The new fee-free days apply only to U.S. residents. Non-residents will still pay entrance fees, and at 11 of the country’s most popular parks, they’ll pay an added $100 surcharge under a new “America-first pricing” policy.
Annual passes are getting a split makeover, too:
- U.S. residents: Still $80
- Non-residents: Increasing to $250
The idea, according to Interior officials, is that U.S. taxpayers already support the parks financially, so their access should stay affordable; international visitors chip in more for maintenance and improvements. Whether that feels fair or frustrating depends on which passport you hold.
How Does the 2026 Calendar Compare to 2025?
In 2025, NPS had seven fee-free days on the calendar. For 2026, there will be seven fee-free days along with one fee-free weekend, for a total of ten days.
| 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Jan. 9: National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter | Feb. 16: Presidents’ Day (Washington’s Birthday) |
| Jan. 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | May 25: Memorial Day |
| April 19: First day of National Park Week | June 14: Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday |
| June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day | July 3–5: Independence Day weekend |
| Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act | Aug. 25: 110th Birthday of the National Park Service |
| Sept. 27: National Public Lands Day | Sept. 17: Constitution Day |
| Nov. 11: Veterans Day | Oct. 27: Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday |
| Nov. 11: Veterans Day |
The only fee-free day that’s staying the same between 2025 and 2026 is Veterans Day.
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