National Park Free Days 2026: The Dates Left and Who Qualifies

Short answer: Two National Park Service fee-free days remain in 2026: Tuesday, October 27 (Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday) and Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day). New in 2026, free entry applies only to U.S. citizens and residents. Camping, reservations, and timed-entry fees are not waived.

Last verified: October 20, 2026. Sources checked: the National Park Service news release of February 13, 2026, plus park partner pages quoting NPS fee policy.

The 2026 calendar looks different from last year’s. Several familiar dates are gone, new ones were added, and a residency rule now decides who gets the waiver. Here’s the full picture in one place.

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Which National Park free days are left in 2026?

Two. Everything before them has already passed.

Feb. 16 Monday Presidents Day Passed
May 25 Monday Memorial Day Passed
June 14 Sunday Flag Day Passed
July 3 to 5 Fri to Sun Independence Day weekend Passed
Aug. 25 Tuesday NPS 110th birthday Passed
Sept. 17 Thursday Constitution Day Passed
Oct. 27 Tuesday Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday Upcoming
Nov. 11 Wednesday Veterans Day Upcoming

Dates that were free in 2025 and did not carry over include Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, according to park-partner roundups of the new list.

Who gets in free on these days?

U.S. citizens and residents. Beginning in 2026, the National Park Service limits fee-free days to U.S. residents. Nonresident visitors pay the regular entrance fee plus any nonresident fee.

Two nonresident charges are worth knowing because they surprise people at the gate:

A $100 per person surcharge applies to visitors age 16 and older at 11 of the busiest parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Acadia, unless they hold an annual pass.
A Non-Resident America the Beautiful Annual Pass costs $250 and covers entrance fees at federal recreation sites.

What does a fee-free day actually cover?

Only the entrance fee. Camping fees, reservation fees, timed-entry fees, tours, and special-use permits still apply. Many popular parks also keep their timed-entry or reservation systems running on free days to control crowds.

A concrete example: Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis waived the $3 entrance fee that’s built into its adult tram and documentary tickets on fee-free days. The tram ticket itself still cost money. That’s the pattern at most sites.

How much is the America the Beautiful pass in 2026?

For U.S. residents, the annual pass is $80. It covers entrance fees and standard day-use fees at lands managed by six federal agencies, including the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Two changes took effect January 1, 2026: passes are now sold digitally through Recreation.gov, and one pass covers two motorcycles instead of one.

If you’ll visit several fee-charging sites in a year, the pass usually beats waiting for free days, since the free days are few and often fall on dates that are hard to travel.

Do veterans and Gold Star families get free entry all year?

Yes, through a separate free lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star Families, according to the Washington’s National Park Fund. Check the National Park Service passes page for the current proof-of-service requirements before you go, since the paperwork is what trips people up.

How to plan around the two days left

Check the park’s own page for timed-entry rules before driving. A free day doesn’t cancel a reservation requirement.

Look at seasonal closures. Late October and mid-November can mean closed roads or reduced visitor services at higher-elevation parks.

It’s a federal holiday, and Veterans Day is the last fee-free day of the year.
Carry a photo ID. Staff may ask how you qualify under the residency rule.

FAQ

Is Veterans Day 2026 free at National Parks? Yes. Wednesday, November 11, 2026 is a fee-free day, for U.S. citizens and residents only.

Can international visitors use the free days in 2026? No. Starting in 2026, fee-free days apply only to U.S. citizens and residents. Non residents pay the standard entrance fee and any non resident fee.

Do fee-free days waive camping or reservation fees? No. They waive the entrance fee only. Camping, reservations, timed entry, and special permits are charged as usual.

How many National Park free days are there in 2026? Ten days in total, counting the three-day Independence Day weekend, across eight occasions.

When will the 2027 free days be announced? The 2026 list was published in late 2025, so expect the next one near the end of this year.
Check nps.gov before planning.