National Park Free Days: Visit for Free on These 6 Days in 2024
If you’re a lover of national parks, then you’ll know that they typically charge you a sometimes hefty fee to visit the park and do any exploring. I know this well, since I’ve personally visited over half of the US national parks!
However, the National Park Service has announced that there will be 6 days throughout 2024 when visitors can enter the park without having to pay any sort of fee. Meaning it’s completely free to visit!
All 400+ national parks, national monuments, national memorials, national historic sites, national recreation sites, and more will be entirely open to the public for a free day on these 6 dates.
This is perfect for having an excuse to visit a place that you’ve never been to before, or go back to one of your favorites! (I would love to go back to my favorites, Glacier and North Cascades National Parks!)
Let’s dive in and go over what you need to know about visiting on these days!
Quick Look at the Fee-Free Days:
- January 15th
- April 20th
- June 19th
- August 4th
- September 28th
- November 11th
National Park Free Days in 2024
The days listed below allow all visitors to all 400+ National Park Service locations free entry.
1. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 15th)
Although some of the parks are under snow by this point, there are still quite a few that are perfect for visiting during the winter.
And what’s better than escaping the cold to run off to a warm national park in January for some hiking and exploring?
2. Start of National Park Week (April 20th)
National Park Week runs from April 20th through April 28th this year, and the NPS is kicking off the week by allowing all visitors free entry to the parks!
This is to encourage people to visit the parks and take advantage of the amazing land that we have access to. I know that I will be!
3. Juneteenth (June 19th)
As summer begins, Juneteenth National Independence Day is another opportunity for us to get into the parks and enjoy them.
Since summer is finally drawing near, this is when higher elevation parks are finally starting to thaw out and we can visit them again with no snow!
Do remember though that some of them will likely have snow until July. When I visited Mount Rainier in early June, there was still tons of snow!
4. Great American Outdoors Act Anniversary (August 4th)
This is the best day to take advantage of the free entrance since the parks are typically free of snow and we can fully enjoy the hiking trails and activities within the parks!
On August 4th, the Great American Outdoors Act was passed back in 2020. This act ensures that funding will be provided to improve infrastructure and make access to the parks and recreation better for all of the public.
5. National Public Lands Day (September 28th)
As we celebrate our public lands and caring for them, the NPS is allowing visitors to visit our parks for free on September 28th!
The premise of National Public Lands Day is to get out and volunteer and help keep our lands, environment, and planet clean. So during your visit, be sure to take care of our parks so we can continue to visit them!
6. Veterans Day (November 11th)
The last free entrance day for national parks in 2024 will be Veterans Day, which falls on November 11th.
This is a great chance to celebrate and thank our veterans. Remember that US Military veterans and Gold Star Families can always have free access to the parks through the National Park Service’s free Lifetime Military Pass.
Things to Know About Fee-Free Days
Aside from knowing that you won’t need any sort of pass (that includes the America the Beautiful Pass) on these dates, there are a few other things that you’ll still want to be aware of.
- If any permits or reservations are required on these dates, you will still need to obtain one and pay the fee for that reservation or permit.
- If you are doing any camping, tours, transportation, or other activities, you will still need to pay the fees for them.
- Some national parks in the US are free all the time, so be sure to check your park and see if you ever need a pass! A few that are always free include North Cascades, Redwoods, Channel Islands, Voyageurs, and a few more.
- If you’re visiting for more than one day, you will need a pass for the additional days since the free day is just for a single day.
Wrap-Up: Fee-Free Days National Parks
So if you’re hoping to visit a national park or two this year, you may want to try to plan around these fee-free national park days so that you can enter without any cost.
Another great option is to grab yourself an America the Beautiful pass, which allows unlimited entrance into all 400+ national parks for just $80 per year.
Either way, visiting our national parks is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, so get out and explore!
