The National Park Service has announced its 2022 fee-free days schedule. This year the park will offer five fee-free days, a reduction from last year’s six.
All of the fee-charging National Park Service units will waive entrance fees on the following days in 2022:
Fee-free days for 2022:
- Monday, January 17 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Saturday, April 16 – First Day of National Park Week
- Thursday, August 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Saturday, September 24 – National Public Lands Day
- Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day
For those with one of the many National Park passes, we generally recommend you avoid the fee-free days, as they can be very busy, especially in popular parks.
Annual passes to all public lands are $80 per year for a carload of 4 adults. Lifetime passes are $80 for seniors and free passes are offered for 4th graders, veterans, and those living with permanent disabilities.
The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days applies only to National Park Service entrance fees and does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours.
If visiting on a fee-free day doesn’t work for your schedule, remember most national parks don’t have entrance fees at all. Out of more than 400 national parks, approximately 110 have admission fees.
With visitation continuing to break records, many are looking for ways to get that big park feel without the big crowds. Check out our eight recommendations to help you achieve just that.
Other federal land management agencies offering their own fee-free days in 2022 include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service , and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
