NPS entrance-fee waiver applies Oct. 27, with limits

The National Park Service’s scheduled one-day waiver of entrance fees is in effect Tuesday, Oct. 27, at U.S. national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. The date honors Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday and appears on the agency’s 2026 free-entry calendar.

The waiver is limited by both eligibility and what it covers. U.S. citizens and residents can avoid the usual entrance fee; nonresidents still owe regular entrance fees and any applicable nonresident fees. It does not make every park visit free: the waiver applies only at fee-charging sites, and separate timed-entry or reservation fees may still apply.

Visitors should check the NPS page for their destination before traveling, because additional charges and entry requirements can vary by site. A fee-free entrance does not mean a reservation or timed-entry charge is also waived.

Oct. 27 is the scheduled waiver date, not a new policy announcement; the fee exemption is for that day only.