The National Park Service is revamping its free-admission schedule for 2026, removing long-standing holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth while adding President Donald Trump’s birthday and several other dates tied to national heritage.
For years, visitors could enter national parks at no cost on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a practice that continued throughout Trump’s first term. Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was added as a free-entry date in 2024. Both holidays have now been dropped from the 2026 list, part of a broader shift that comes as the administration reduces diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across federal agencies.
Replacing those dates is a significantly expanded list of fee-free days, led by Trump’s birthday on June 14, which also marks Flag Day. The new calendar also includes Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, a three-day window over the July 4 weekend, the National Park Service’s 110th birthday on August 25, Constitution Day on September 17, and the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt on October 27. Roosevelt is widely viewed as the nation’s “conservationist president,” credited with doubling the number of sites in the park system during his tenure.
Several other free-entry dates will disappear next year, including the first day of National Park Week, the Bureau of Land Management’s birthday, Great American Outdoors Day, National Public Lands Day, and the first Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week. Veterans Day will remain a fee-free day for all visitors.
The changes coincide with a newly announced “America-first” fee structure from the Department of the Interior. Beginning January 1, international travelers will pay standard admission plus an additional $100 at 11 of the country’s most visited parks. Non-US residents will also face a steep increase for the annual pass, which will rise to $250 compared with the unchanged $80 pass available to US residents.
Source: CNN