Life can be grinding. Between the day-to-day stresses of traffic, faulty check-out kiosks, and automated customer service representatives, we could all use a break every once in a while. Luckily, there are over 400 national parks across the country waiting to be explored. And with such a wide range of parks, programs, and activities, odds are there’s one closer to you than you realized.
You can tour the fascinating history of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, go snorkeling on the Wild & Scenic Westfield River in Massachusetts, hike the trails of Washington D.C.’s urban refuge Rock Creek Park, or even go sledding down the dunes at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.
While many national parks are free 365 days a year, 112 of them charge entrance fees. The exception is on fee-free days. These select days throughout the year give everyone a chance to visit parks free of charge.
The 2021 fee-free days are:
- January 18, 2021 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
- April 17, 2021 (First Day of National Park Week)
- August 4, 2021 (One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act)
- August 25, 2021 (National Park Service Birthday)
- September 25, 2020 (National Public Lands Day)
- November 11, 2020 (Veterans Day)
With so many parks to choose from, it can be hard to pick which one to visit next. We get it. Take our Find Your Park Quiz to get personalized park pairings - the perfect inspiration for exploring a new park on the next fee-free day.
