National Park Service

Free Entrance Days — there are six in 2025 — begin at the national parks

The complimentary occasion is in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Yosemite National Park

What to Know

  • 2025 Free Entrance Days
  • Fee-charging national parks will waive entrance admission on six days in 2025
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the first complimentary entrance day; visit your favorite national park for free on Jan. 20, 2025

WINTERTIME IN A NATIONAL PARK? It's not all silent snowfall, opportunities to ski or ice skate, and cozy times spent in the lobby of a storied lodge. There are plenty of pastimes and pursuits to savor if you parka-up and don your favorite mittens: Storytime led by charismatic rangers, learning about the different sorts of tracks animals leave in the snow, snowshoe hikes, and pinecone crafts are some of the joyful offerings you might find at your favorite park. Something else you'll find, if you visit Jan. 20, 2025: Free admission at the gate.

TRUE, many national parks always offer complimentary entry, but over a series of special days, the fee-charging destinations waive fees and wave you in. The first of the six free days in 2025 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there are parks near and far to consider. Yosemite National Park will be among the free national parks honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader, but there are hundreds of monuments and historic sites to consider visiting. It isn't yet time for the Horsetail Fall spectacle in Yosemite Valley — the El Capitan waterfall will glow, courtesy of the setting sun, over a couple of weeks in late February — but there are several peaceful outings to think about around the valley. Joshua Tree National Park, the redwoods, Pinnacles, and Lassen Volcanic are just a few California gems to consider exploring.

GOOD TO KNOW? Some Golden State parks always offer free entry, all year long; find out more now. Also important? If you do plan to view Horsetail Fall in February, you'll need a reservation to enter the park on select dates. And one more thing to take away? The next free-entry day at the national parks in 2025 is April 19, the first day of National Park Week.

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