National Park Service sets Aug. 25 fee-free day during National Park Week
The National Park Service will waive entrance fees for U.S. citizens and residents on Aug. 25, 2026, at national parks that normally charge them. The fee-free day will be part of National Park Week, scheduled nationwide for Aug. 22–30.
The National Park Service announced the 2026 schedule on July 23. The Department of the Interior said the observance will coincide with the agency’s 110th birthday and take place during the United States’ 250th-anniversary year.
For eligible visitors, the announcement creates a specific date to plan a visit around. It does not, however, establish that every park visit will be free or that the Park Service is permanently changing its entrance-fee policy.
What the fee-free day covers
The waiver applies to entrance fees at parks that normally charge them. The eligibility described by the Park Service is limited to U.S. citizens and residents; the announcement does not say that the waiver applies to every visitor.
The announcement specifically addresses entrance fees. It does not establish that other possible costs connected with a visit will be waived. Visitors planning a trip should therefore review information for the individual park rather than assume that all charges or requirements are covered by the nationwide announcement.
The Park Service system includes more than 400 parks. The Interior Department described the system as encompassing 433 national parks, giving the week a reach that extends across the country rather than focusing on one destination.
Programming will continue through Aug. 30
National Park Week will include Junior Ranger activities and other educational, historical, wildlife and safety programming. The events are intended to give visitors ways to engage with the park system beyond the single fee-free date.
The 2026 theme is “Celebrate America’s Story.” Interior tied the theme to the nation’s 250th anniversary, while the Aug. 25 schedule also marks the National Park Service’s 110th birthday.
Aug. 30 will be National Junior Ranger Day. That date gives families and other visitors a second designated point during the week for a nationwide educational program associated with the Park Service.
The week’s programming may be relevant to visitors who are choosing between dates, planning activities for children or looking for educational and safety-focused events. The packet does not provide a single national schedule for individual activities, so the availability and format of programming will depend on the park.
What visitors should check before going
Individual park programs, operating hours and capacity rules may differ. Those details can matter even when the national schedule is already set, particularly for visitors planning around Aug. 25 or National Junior Ranger Day on Aug. 30.
The next step for travelers is to check the National Park Service information for the specific park they intend to visit. The nationwide dates establish when the observance and fee-free day will occur, but local arrangements remain part of trip planning.
National Park Week will begin Aug. 22 and end Aug. 30, 2026. Entrance fees will be waived on Aug. 25 at normally fee-charging parks for U.S. citizens and residents, and National Junior Ranger Day will close the week on Aug. 30.
Sources
- National Park Week, National Park Service
- National Park Week 2026 Celebrates America's Story, U.S. Department of the Interior
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