Here is a little food for thought...
Washington D.C. — The National Park Service will have five entrance fee-free days in 2023. The free admission days are designed to encourage discovery and visitation of the country’s variety of national parks. With at least one in every state, national parks are accessible places to visit to refresh body, mind and spirit.
The free entrance dates for 2023 are:
Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 22– First Day of National Park Week
Aug. 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Sept. 23 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
Visitors are encouraged to begin their trip to a national park with a stop at NPS.gov or the NPS app to help plan and prepare. There you can find tips to help you Plan Like a Park Ranger and Recreate Responsibly. It is important to know before you go what is open and available, especially if you are staying overnight. There are maps, updated conditions and suggested activities to help you decide where to go and what to do. Regardless of activity, visitors should follow Leave No Trace principles. National parks belong to all of us, and everyone needs to do their part to help preserve and protect them now and into the future.
The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days applies only to National Park Service entrance fees and does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.
