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A few times a year, the U.S. Department of the Interior makes it free for everyone to enter at all of the National Parks.
Check your schedule to see when you might visit one of the 400+ National Parks during one of the half-dozen free admission days in 2023.
Here’s what you need to know:
Mark your calendars for the various free admission days.
While not all National Parks charge admission, more than 100 parks do have entrance fees, typically between $5 and $35 per vehicle. In 2023, these are the days the National parks Service isn’t charging any entrance fees:
- January 16: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 22: First day of National Park Week
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 23: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Before you head out, make sure your favorite park is open.
The free admission only applies to the parks that are open, of course. Factors like weather and construction can alter a park’s status; for example, one of the most popular parks, Yellowstone, closed in June 2022 after severe flooding.
The National Parks Service’s closure list is changing all the time, so check it before you plan your trip.
Get to know all the other park discounts and freebies.
Fourth graders get free admission during the summer (and their families, too). Active-duty, retired, and reserve military members are always free at the parks. Learn about these and more National Parks discount tips.
For last-minute trips, you’ll want to camp inside the park.
Most parks that allow camping have both reservable and first-come, first-served sites. Nightly fees range from $15-$50 depending on your site and whether you need an RV hookup.
If you’re so last minute that you can’t get a reservable spot, there are always a limited amount of first-come, first-served spots. Check the individual parks’ websites to make sure campsites are still open.
