Free National Park Days and Park Discount Passes

Did you know that there are several days each year that are free national park days? Admission fees are waived on these dates to make sure that everyone who wants to visit a national park can do so regardless of their ability to pay. They also serve as a way to encourage new visitors and celebrate what the documentarian, Ken Burns called “America’s Best Idea”. These are the 5 free days in 2023. Be sure to block your calendar if you have any national park service parks and recreation sites nearby.

2024 Free Entrance Days at National Parks & Recreation Sites

January 15 (Monday): Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

April 20 (Saturday): First day of National Park Week

June 19 (Wednesday): Juneteenth

August 4 (Sunday): Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

September 28 (Saturday): National Public Lands Day

November 11 (Monday): Veterans Day

The entrance fee waiver only covers the admission fees, but it’s not only for national parks. The free days are also good for all other National Park Service properties that charge admission. There are over 2000 NPS sites across the USA.

Fees for amenities or user fees for activities like camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours aren’t normally included in the free day waivers.

How Much are National Park Fees Normally?

The good news is that only 108 out of 423 national parks charge an entrance fee, but those parks are the most popular and well-known. For Americans, some of your tax dollars help support the National Park Service. This makes most fees for national parks in America very reasonable, compared to other activities these days. Admission fees range from $3 to $25 and cover an entire carload of people for a week. To find the rate for a specific park, you can check this list of park admission fees, go to the park website, or call to confirm the exact rates.

The first time you enter a national park you’ll pay the admission fee and get a receipt of some kind that you either carry with you or display in your car whenever you’re in the park for the next seven days. This is a big advantage for those who want to really enjoy everything about the park over several days.

Which Parks Waive Admission on National Park Free Days?

Nearly every park that normally charges admission participates in the free national park days. Here’s a list of all the parks participating this year with links to the national park website so you can confirm with them directly or ask questions.

In addition to these parks, many sites within the National Park Service never charge admission fees.

How Can I Get Free or Discounted Admission to National Parks?

If you plan to visit any national park(s) more than once in a twelve-month period or have plans to visit some of the 2000 other federal recreation sites you may want to buy an Annual Pass for a specific park or one of the other “America the Beautiful” passes issued by the National Park Service. Annual passes also include admission for sites under the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers.

All National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Passes provide entrance to a variety of recreation sites including national parks, national seashores, national monuments, national historical sites, and more.

What National Parks Annual or Lifetime Passes are Available?

Click the links below in blue for more information and websites to buy passes. You can buy passes at many NPS locations.

Specific National Park Annual Pass – Price varies

If you live near a national park or plan to visit one park multiple times or for more than a week in the next 12 months you can buy an annual pass for that specific park. Prices vary from $35 to $70 for a park-specific annual pass, so in some cases, it might be more cost-effective to spend a few dollars more and get the “America the Beautiful Annual Pass” for $80 since it covers all the park properties. Sample park-specific prices:

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park – $35

Acadia National Park Annual Pass – $70

Grand Teton National Park Annual Pass – $70

America the Beautiful Annual Pass – $80

• An America the Beautiful Annual Pass allows you to visit any park within the National Park Service recreation sites
• These passes are valid for 12 months from the month of your purchase.
• Two people can sign and own the pass and they don’t have to be related. (photo ID may be required to confirm that you own the pass.)
• Each pass admits one vehicle for one week where admission is charged per vehicle and the pass holder plus 3 guests if admission is charged per person. Children under 16 are always free.

America the Beautiful – Military, Veteran and Gold Star Family Pass – FREE

• The National Park Service in partnership with “Operation Live Well” would like to thank military personnel and their families for their service and invite them to enjoy their national parks.
• Current US military members and their dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force, as well as Reserve and National Guard members are eligible
• US military veterans are eligible
• Gold Star Family members are also eligible
• The pass is free with valid documentation that you are eligible. See link above for details.
• The entrance fee waiver does not cover expanded amenities or user fees for activities such as camping, transportation, special recreation permits, reservation fees or special tours.
• Free access for veterans and Gold Star Families will continue indefinitely unless the Secretarial Order and/or FLREA are amended, superseded, or revoked/expired.
• The Gold Star Voucher is valid for one calendar year. You can download new vouchers for successive years by completing the self-certification online (see information in the question above).
• Annual Interagency Military passes are valid for one year from the month of issuance.

America the Beautiful – Senior Pass – $20 to $80

• U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are 62 years or older are eligible to buy the “America the Beautiful” Senior Annual Pass. (You must have turned 62 before you can buy the pass). Senior passes can only be owned by one person (not two like the general pass).
• NOTE: Owning property or paying taxes in the U.S. does not automatically qualify you for a Senior Pass. You must be a permanent U.S. resident, or a U.S. citizen with identification such as U.S. Driver’s License, Green Card or U.S. Passport.
• Two different options are available for senior citizens. The Senior Annual pass costs $20 per year and the Senior Lifetime pass costs $80 and is valid for the rest of your life.
• Hold on to your old annual passes. If you decide to buy the annual pass in four different years, you can exchange them for a lifetime Senior pass.
• Each pass admits one vehicle for a week where admission is charged per vehicle and the pass holder plus 3 guests if admission is charged per person. Children under 16 are always free.
• Senior passes may also include other discounts for things like campsite fees, tours, and more. Check with the office or website for your destination to find out about other discounts.

America the Beautiful – Access Lifetime Pass – FREE

• An Access pass is a free, lifetime pass – for U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability. It doesn’t have to be 100% disability.
• The $10 charge covers the processing and mailing of the pass.
• A permanent disability is considered a permanent physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
• The person applying for the pass needs to provide proof of their disability. This can be done with a variety of documents. Click the link above to find out more details.
• Each Access pass admits one vehicle for a week where admission is charged per vehicle and the pass holder plus 3 guests if admission is charged per person. Children under 16 are always free.
• You may need to provide your photo ID to show proof that you’re the owner of the pass.
• Access Passes may also include other discounts for things like campsite fees, tours, and more. Check with the office or website for your destination to find out more.

Every Kid Outdoors – 4th Grader School Year Pass – FREE

• Are you the parent or teacher of a 4th-grade student? Or are you a 4th grader yourself? If so, you’re a lucky kid because you’re eligible for a free national parks pass for your 4th grade school year. (Sep/ Aug)
• The National Park Service chose fourth graders because research shows that kids ages 9 to 11 are starting to learn about the world around them. They’re open to new ideas, and they’re likely to connect to nature and enjoy history.
• The pass is valid for the school year, so it expires on August 31, 2024. If you know of a 3rd grader be sure to let them know about this pass so they can get it at the beginning of their 4th grade school year and have more time to use it.
• The “Every Kid Outdoors” (4th Grader) Pass admits one vehicle to the NPS site for a week where admission is charged per vehicle or the pass holder plus 3 guests (over 16) if admission is charged per person. Kids under 16 are always free, so the pass is really an incentive for parents, teachers and leaders to take their kids to national parks and recreation sites.
• You can exchange the paper voucher for a more durable, Interagency Annual 4th Grade Pass at certain federal lands or waters sites. Visit online for a complete list of locations that issue passes.
• The “Every Kid Outdoors” program wants any adult that interacts with 4th graders to be able to pass along passes to their kids. If you’re a public school teacher or work for a youth-serving organization you may be eligible. For example, if you’re a camp director, a home-school leader, an after-school leader, or a religious group leader you can print paper passes to hand out to your entire 4th grade class at the beginning of the school year.
• Here’s more about how to apply for the program.

America the Beautiful – Volunteer Annual Pass – FREE

• Have you volunteered at least 250 hours at one or more United States Federal parks or recreation sites? The Federal agencies below are part of the program. If so, then you may qualify for the “America the Beautiful Volunteer Pass”.
• Eligible agencies for volunteering:
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) http://www.blm.gov
  • Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) http://www.usbr.gov
  • Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) http://www.fws.gov
  • USDA Forest Service (USDA FS) http://www.fs.fed.us
  • National Park Service (NPS) http://www.nps.gov
  • US Army Corps of Engineers http://www.usace.army.mil
• As a volunteer, you can take as long as you need to log the 250 hours. Once you reach that goal you can apply for a pass. Once issued, the pass is good for 12 months.
• Would you like to volunteer at a national park or another federal recreation site? If so, visit the official “Volunteer.gov” website, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Volunteer website, or check directly with the park or location where you’d like to volunteer. National parks often have links on their website to openings as well.

What Else Should I Know About National Park Passes?

Hang Tags

There are some federal recreation areas where there isn’t a specific entrance gate where you can pay an entrance fee. In those cases, you can display your annual or lifetime pass if your car is parked on federal land. Display your pass on your rearview mirror using a free hangtag or on your dashboard with the signature side showing.

You should get a green plastic hangtag (above) along with your annual pass. But if you didn’t get one or you lose it you may be able to ask for one at a National Park or Recreation area location. Remember, the hangtag itself is only a way to hold your Pass. It’s not valid for entry unless it holds a valid unexpired Pass.

Decals

If you own an open-topped vehicle (jeep, motorcycle, etc.) you may obtain a free decal to attach to your vehicle that will serve as proof of payment at sites that don’t have a staffed entrance station.

Find out more here about each of these passes as well as links to purchase them online if you’d rather not wait to buy one at a federal recreation site or national park.

What Do My National Park Fees Pay For?

At least 80 percent of the money for national park admission fees stays in the park where it’s collected. The other 20 percent helps parks that don’t collect fees. Funds improve visitor experience, so the money you contribute comes right back to you in benefits like new exhibits, road and facility maintenance, trail improvements, and campground staff.

However, while national parks charge fees, these fees are not nearly enough to fund the national park system, which is why the NPS depends so heavily on Congressional budget appropriations. Be sure to let your representatives in Congress know that you support and value the National Park Service. This can help prevent NPS budget cuts to make room for other less-valuable government expenses.

Which National Park Should I Visit First?

That’s the million-dollar question, right? If you ask 100 people you’ll likely get at least 50 different answers. I’ve visited nearly 40 of the 64 “official” national parks (not including the lesser parks that aren’t technically considered “national parks”). If you count all the National Park Service properties, I’d guess that I’ve visited at least 100. Maybe more. I have several favorites but would have a hard time choosing just one. Here are a few posts about some of the national parks that I’ve been to:

100 Ways to Enjoy Grand Canyon National Park – Arizona

Gettysburg Battlefield National Military Park – Pennsylvania

Shenandoah National Park – Virginia

There are many more national parks blog posts in the works and some travel guides as well. Sign up for my newsletter, to find out when they’re published.

Find great places to stay near the National Parks at Booking.com.

What’s your favorite National Park property? Do you plan to visit a park on one of the free days?