Mark your calendars—on , America’s so-called “best idea” is scheduled to be even better. How could the natural wonders in places like Yosemite or Arches National Park be improved, you ask? Easy—by getting to visit them for free.
Most locations in the National Parks System never charge for entry—only the 109 most popular. Destinations that draw big crowds, like Yellowstone, Acadia, and the Grand Canyon, charge between to get in during the busy summer travel season, and often also require a reservation. That money mostly habitat restoration, as well as improving accessibility and infrastructure.
It makes sense that heavily-trafficked parks need extra funding, and entrance fees raise those funds while also helping to keep visitation in check. But national parks are public land, and should be accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. In that spirit, the NPS waives the entry toll at every location on a handful of days each year. (Although you do still need to make a reservation, if the park usually requires one.)
Admission to all National Park locations will be free on the following days in 2024:
- January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 20: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 28: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Personally, I’m planning on taking advantage of fee-free days in 2024 to visit a couple places that have been at the top of my list for years: Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. I live in Bozeman, Montana, just an hour and a half down the road from Yellowstone’s famous geysers, waterfalls, and wildlife. But I haven’t made a trip to see them myself yet— there’s so much other beautiful wilderness nearby where I can go for free—but I’d love to change that next spring or summer.
Glacier, in northwest Montana, is a longer haul, but more than worth it for the clear alpine lakes and expansive views. If the timing works out, biking up Going-to-the-Sun Road is on my all-time bucket list.
A complete list of the sites that participate in fee-free days can be . And don’t miss our detailed guides written by our travel experts to the best national parks in the country, like: