Calling all hikers + explorers! The 10 free-entrance days for 2017 in US National Parks will be:
- January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- February 20: Presidents’ Day
- April 15-16 & April 22-23: National Park Week Weekends
- August 25: National Park Service Birthday
- September 30: National Public Lands Day
- November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend
“National parks are known for their priceless beauty,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “They are a bargain anytime but on these ten days in 2017, they really will be priceless. We want everyone to visit their national parks and the fee free days provide extra incentive to experience these amazing places.”
During the fee-free days, all National Park Service sites will waive entrance fees for all visitors. Usually, 124 of the 413 national parks charge entrance fees that range from $3 to $30. The other 289 sites do not have entrance fees. The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for things such as camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.
To continue the national park adventure beyond these fee free days, the annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks,. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens (62+), current military members and families, fourth-grade students (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age) + a free lifetime Access Pass for permanently disabled citizens.
