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You Can Visit All 423 National Park Service Sites For Free on These 6 Days in 2021

By: Author Bram Reusen

Posted on Last updated:

On six days in 2021, from Martin Luther King Day to Veterans Day, you can visit all 423 National Park Service sites for free.

Wizard Island in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon - Admission Free National Park Days

Explore These 100+ National Park Service Sites for Free in 2021

The National Park Service (NPS) manages 423 different sites, from various national historic sites, national military parks and national seashores to the 62 national parks—the shining stars of the NPS system.

More than 100 of those normally charge an entrance fee, while 300+ other sites are always free. So, I’d recommend picking one of the following fee-free national parks on those six days. These are the ones that aren’t free on any other day.

Alaska

  • Denali National Park & Preserve

Arizona

  • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area
  • Montezuma Castle National Monument
  • Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
  • Petrified Forest National Park
  • Pipe Spring National Monument
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
  • Tonto National Monument
  • Tumacácori National Historical Park
  • Tuzigoot National Monument
  • Walnut Canyon National Monument
  • Wupatki National Monument

Arkansas

  • Fort Smith National Historic Site
  • Pea Ridge National Military Park

California

Colorado

Florida

  • Canaveral National Seashore
  • Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
  • Dry Tortugas National Park
  • Everglades National Park
  • Gulf Islands National Seashore

Georgia

  • Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
  • Cumberland Island National Seashore
  • Fort Pulaski National Monument
  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Hawaii

Idaho

  • Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
  • Yellowstone National Park

Maine

Maryland

  • Antietam National Battlefield
  • Assateague Island National Seashore
  • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  • Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Massachusetts

  • Adams National Historical Park
  • Cape Cod National Seashore

Michigan

  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Minnesota

  • Pipestone National Monument
5 Admission-Free Entrance Days in U.S. National Parks in 2020

Mississippi

  • Gulf Islands National Seashore
  • Vicksburg National Military Park

Missouri

  • Gateway Arch National Park
  • Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

Montana

  • Glacier National Park
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
  • Yellowstone National Park

Nevada

  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area

New Hampshire

  • Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

New Jersey

  • Thomas Edison National Historical Park

New Mexico

  • Bandelier National Monument
  • Capulin Volcano National Monument
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • Chaco Culture National Historical Park
  • Valles Caldera National Preserve
  • White Sands National Park

New York

  • Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
  • Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
  • Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

North Carolina

  • Wright Brothers National Memorial

North Dakota

Ohio

  • James A. Garfield National Historic Site
  • Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial

Oklahoma

  • Fort Smith National Historic Site

Oregon

Puerto Rico

  • San Juan National Historic Site

South Carolina

  • Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

South Dakota

  • Badlands National Park

Tennessee

  • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Texas

  • Big Bend National Park
  • Fort Davis National Historic Site
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
  • Padre Island National Seashore

Utah

Virgin Islands

  • Christiansted National Historic Site

Virginia

  • Assateague Island National Seashore
  • Colonial National Historical Park
  • George Washington Memorial Parkway’s Great Falls Park
  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
  • Prince William Forest Park
  • Shenandoah National Park

Washington

West Virginia

  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Wyoming

  • Devils Tower National Monument
  • Grand Teton National Park
  • Yellowstone National Park
Black bear on Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia - What to Do When You See a Black Bear

Admission-Free National Park Days in 2021

All sites that usually charge an entrance fee will waive those fees on these days in 2021:

  • January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • April 17 – the first day of 2021 National Park Week
  • August 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • August 25 – Birthday of the National Park Service
  • September 25 – National Public Lands Day
  • November 11 – Veterans Day

These fee-free national park days are a strong motivation for many people to discover a park they otherwise wouldn’t have, or revisit a favorite park. It’s a great way to introduce a variety of National Park Service sites to a greater audience.

Note, however, that “admission-free” doesn’t mean your entire visit will cost you zero dollars.

This is just an entrance fee waiver and other facilities and services might still charge a fee, including concessionaire parking areas, hotels, transportation, as well as user permits for activities like camping, boating and fishing.

Hikers on the Skyline Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

America the Beautiful Annual National Parks Pass

While these admission-free national park days in 2021 are definitely a good thing, I would encourage you to still donate a bit of money if there’s the possibility to do so. The National Park Service has an enormous maintenance backlog and is severely underfunded. Literally every dollar helps.

If you’re planning on visiting more than one national park in 2021, I suggest purchasing an America the Beautiful Annual National Parks Pass. This annual pass is available to everyone and costs only $80.

That’s a ridiculously low price considering what you get in return—access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including all National Park Service sites, national wildlife refuges, national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands.

You can find more information about the America the Beautiful Pass, what it covers and which options there are on this page.

Sliding Sands Trail in Crater of Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

My Personal Favorite National Parks to Visit on the 2021 Free Entrance Days

Remember that national parks aren’t necessarily super-remote or a long drive from a major city. There are, in fact, numerous urban national parks in America, too.

For spectacular landscapes, world-class outdoor activities and/or fantastic wildlife watching, however, these are some of my personal favorite parks. Click on the links for information about their top activities and sights.

If there’s a specific activity you’d like to do or a certain interest you have, and you’re looking for a national park to enjoy that, here are some great ideas for you. These are the best national parks for…

National park road trips are more popular than ever, too. Here are some great suggestions for an extended national parks trip.

Which Parks Will You Visit on These Admission-Free National Park Days in 2021?