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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, 108 charge an entry fee. The free admittance does not include amenities and user fees for camping, boat launches, transportation and special tours. Note: Some parks require reservations, which can be made through recreation.gov.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans 50-plus planned to travel in 2024, according to AARP’s Travel Trends survey. Sixty-three percent of those travelers planned to travel domestically. These domestic parks provide an opportunity to experience nature and benefit from a reduction in depression and stress hormone levels, as well as a reduction in the need for some medications.
Top 10 National Parks in 2023 by Visitors
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 13.29 million
2. Grand Canyon National Park, 4.73 million
3. Zion National Park, 4.62 million
4. Yellowstone National Park, 4.50 million
5. Rocky Mountain National Park, 4.11 million
6. Yosemite National Park, 3.89 million
7. Acadia National Park, 3.87 million
8. Grand Teton National Park, 3.41 million
9. Joshua Tree National Park, 3.27 million
10. Olympic National Park, 2.94 million
Source: National Park Service.
For 2025, park fees will be waived on the following days and holidays:
- Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- April 19: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 27: National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
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 citizens with disabilities. For 2025, 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. In 2023, 325.5 million people visited national parks, 4 percent more than in 2022. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most visited national park last year, with about 13.3 million recreation visitors.
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