Select national parks will offer FREE admission for 6 days in 2024

Planning to visit a national park this year? Entrance fees can quickly eat up a chunk of your budget, but there are ways to score national park deals and even free entry.

Surprisingly the majority of United States National Parks are free to enter all year long. Only 116 of the parks charge any sort of entrance fee. Admission to these parks can range from $5 per person to $35 per vehicle; $30 per motorcycle. Here’s the low-down on all park fees at all locations.

But, for the parks that require an entry fee, the National Park Service selects a handful of dates every year to waive entrance fees for everyone.

Here are this year’s dates:

• 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

Participating sites

Here is a state-by-state list of the sites participating in the free entrance days. Be sure to visit the parks’ website before visiting!

Aside from the free entrance days, here are some other ways to save:

Annual Pass: This is available to anyone in the general public and is valid for up to one year from the month of sale. Two people can sign this pass for use, so long as one individual is present on the day of.

Seniors: Anyone 62 or older can get an Annual Pass for $20 or a Lifetime Pass for $80. You also get 50% off on amenities like camping, swimming and boating.

Active US Military: Current U.S. 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, qualify for this free entry pass.

Veterans: U.S. Veterans and Gold Star Families with a valid Gold Star Family Voucher qualify for this free entry pass.

Disabilities: This is a free pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. This is a lifetime pass.

Fourth Graders: These kids get free admission during their fourth-grade year and the following summer. That means from September through the following August, they can get their family’s vehicle into the park for free. https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm

Visit the National Park Service to apply for any of these passes.

The NPS is more than major national parks such as Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. Some of the 424 sites include:

• Historical Sites
• Recreation Areas
• Scenic Trails
• National Seashores
• Military Parks
• Monuments
• Historical Parks
• Battlefield Parks
• National Lakeshores
• and Historical Trails

Find a park in your state or neighborhood.

See Clark’s travel planning and booking guide for the best tips on stress-free travel, and check out InsureMyTrip.com for trip insurance.