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Aiming to get more people to visit the nation’s parks, the U.S. National Park Service hosts several days throughout the year in which entrance fees to all the sites within the National Park Service system are waived.
That means you can visit places like Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon without shelling out the usual $20 to $35 fee.
There are over 400 units managed by the National Park Service, which includes national parks, memorials, monuments, battlefields, preserves and others; of those, 123 charge an entry fee. The free admittance does not include amenities and user fees for camping, boat launches, transportation and special tours.
For 2024, park fees will be waived on the following days and holidays:
- Jan. 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 20: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Top 10 National Parks in 2022 by Visitors
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 12.94 million
2. Grand Canyon National Park, 4.73 million
3. Zion National Park, 4.69 million
4. Rocky Mountain National Park, 4.30 million
5. Acadia National Park, 3.97 million
6. Yosemite National Park, 3.67 million
7. Yellowstone National Park, 3.29 million
8. Joshua Tree National Park, 3.06 million
9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 2.91 million
10. Glacier National Park, 2.91 million
Source: National Park Service.
National park enthusiasts who want to visit national parks more than once can save by purchasing an annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which costs $80 and gives you unlimited entrance to over 2,000 federal recreation areas including all the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. Free and discounted passes are available for older adults, active members of the military, families of fourth-grade students and disabled citizens. For 2024, the pass for people over the age of 62 is $20. A senior lifetime pass costs $80. The annual pass is free for the other groups. Last year, 312 million people visited national parks, 5 percent more than in 2021, as visits nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most visited national park last year, with about 12.9 million recreation visitors.
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