There are six FREE admission days to national parks, monuments and historic sites in 2024, one more than in 2023.
There are more than 400 National Park Service sites nationwide, with at least one in every state.
The fee-free days continue a tradition of FREE admission days to increase access, promote recreational opportunities, improve visitor facilities and conserve natural and historical treasures in national parks, for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people and also foreign visitors to the USA and to our national park sites.
Approximately 100 NPS sites charge an entrance fee, with costs ranging from $5 to $35. The other 300-plus national parks sites do not have entrance fees.
On admission free days, only the admission is free.
The fee waiver does not cover amenity or user fees for camping, boat launches, transportation, special tours, or other activities such as IMAX theaters.
Admission free dates for 2024 are:
January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 20 – First Day of National Park Week
June 19 – Juneteenth
August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day
September 28 – National Public Lands Day
November 11 – Veterans Day
Timed Entry Requirements at Some National Parks
Some more popular national parks now require advance reservations.
Always check the National Park Service website for the specific rules about the location you want to visit.
Detailed information about what there is to see and do at each park is available on NPS.gov or the NPS app.
It is important to know before you go what is open and available, especially if you are interested in overnight accommodations.
Timed Entry for the Most Popular National Parks
What started in 2022 with Arches National Park in Utah, has now spread to several other popular national parks, to control crowds and limit damage to the delicate infrastructure.
Some timed entry requirements are for the entire park, others for a specific area or season. Visit each website for specific information and registration requirements.
Yosemite National Park, California
- entire park
- February and mid-April through the last weekend of October
Arches National Park, Utah
- entire park
- Tickets for April 2024 will go live on Recreation.gov beginning at 8 am MST on January 10, 2024.
- The park will release tickets three months in advance in monthly blocks. Reservations will be required from 7 am to 4 pm daily and will cost $2 per reservation.
- For those without an early reservation, some next-day tickets will be available at 6 pm daily.
- For more information, including a complete schedule of ticket releases, visit go.nps.gov/ArchesTicket
Zion National Park, Utah
- Angels Landing Trail
Glacier National Park, Montana
- Going-to-the-Sun Road, North Fork, and Many Glacier
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
- entire park
Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
- sunrise viewing at the summit
National Parks support 300,000+ US Jobs
Most national parks are always free to enter.
Only about 100 of the 400+ national parks have an entrance fee.
For parks with an entrance fee, the cost ranges from $5 to $35 and the money remains in the National Park Service, with 80-100% staying in the park where collected.
The funds are used to enhance the visitor experience by providing programs and services, habitat restoration, and infrastructure maintenance and repair.
Get a Pass
The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks, for the passholder and companions accompanying them.
There are also free or discounted passes available for currently serving members of the
- U.S. military and their dependents,
- military veterans,
- Gold Star Families,
- fourth grade students,
- disabled citizens
- senior citizens
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
- Bureau of Land Management,
- Bureau of Reclamation,
- U.S. Forest Service,
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
About the National Park Service
Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
As always, stay safe, plan ahead, and #recreateresponsibly.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA) and is a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter
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