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frontpagepikappaphiEE252 posted Dec 01, 2025 03:19 PM
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frontpagepikappaphiEE252 posted Dec 01, 2025 03:19 PM

2026 National Park Free Entrance Days: All U.S Citizen/Residents

(2/16 Presidents Day)

Free

$80

119 Comments 67,858 Views
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National Park Service (NPS.gov) is offering their 2026 National Park Free Entrance Days for all U.S Citizen/Residents only listed below (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply)

Thanks to community member pikappaphiEE252 for finding this deal

Note, free entrance on these days will be for U.S. citizens/residents only; non-residents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees

Available Date(s)

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • About the Deal
    • Come experience the national parks! Location/sites may vary
    • Free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only
    • All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone
    • Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates
    • Offer valid on the listed dates only
  • Additional Details
    • Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees
    • Additional conditions may apply

Original Post

Written by pikappaphiEE252
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
National Park Service (NPS.gov) is offering their 2026 National Park Free Entrance Days for all U.S Citizen/Residents only listed below (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply)

Thanks to community member pikappaphiEE252 for finding this deal

Note, free entrance on these days will be for U.S. citizens/residents only; non-residents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees

Available Date(s)

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • About the Deal
    • Come experience the national parks! Location/sites may vary
    • Free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only
    • All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone
    • Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates
    • Offer valid on the listed dates only
  • Additional Details
    • Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees
    • Additional conditions may apply

Original Post

Written by pikappaphiEE252

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Top Comments

pikappaphiEE252
21 Posts
278 Reputation
It is not normal.
ptraugot
14 Posts
22 Reputation
Not ever
cricrazy
48 Posts
13 Reputation
Just for the Point of Reference:

The Taj Mahal—one of the seven wonders—charges INR 50 for locals and INR 1100 for foreigners. That's 22x more for tourists! (Source: https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/ticketing.aspx)
Now, apply that logic to U.S. National Parks:
Annual pass = $80.
If foreigners paid 22x more, that'd be $1,760!
A little perspective helps. Not everything is racist or xenophobic—sometimes it's just how pricing works. My Two Cents.

119 Comments

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Dec 02, 2025 07:49 AM
2,960 Posts
Joined Mar 2008
LessGreedDec 02, 2025 07:49 AM
2,960 Posts
Quote from karrdi :
Your world view is narrow. Visit England. All of their major museums are free regardless of where you were born.
Not really. All the ones we visited had $18+ fee ten years ago, must be even more now
Dec 02, 2025 03:26 PM
1,014 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
darksiderisingDec 02, 2025 03:26 PM
1,014 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank darksiderising

Quote from AmitK2641 :
How is residency defined? Hope people here realize not everyone on visa is tourist.
I would think that the obvious answer is that a U.S. state issued ID or drivers license should suffice.
1
1
Dec 02, 2025 03:27 PM
1,014 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
darksiderisingDec 02, 2025 03:27 PM
1,014 Posts
Quote from adtruck :
How to prove a citizen? So we need to bring a passport to national parks?
You don't need to be a citizen. You need to be a resident. And a state issued identification or drivers license would seem to be an obvious answer.
4
Dec 02, 2025 03:34 PM
10,307 Posts
Joined Oct 2011

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Dec 02, 2025 03:39 PM
10,307 Posts
Joined Oct 2011
jimx200Dec 02, 2025 03:39 PM
10,307 Posts
Quote from jk_black :
Why so negative? TBH, skipping a national park on a free admission day makes sense. Those parks usually have super narrow roads (usually 1 lane) and when they're packed, you could be stuck in your car for hours. No thanks! It's not about being rich.. I just value my time (and my family's) and would rather do something productive than sit in traffic all day.
you must be a new visitor to parks since going early there is never a wait. No overcrowding on free days either as they limit the number of people regardless of a free day or not. Using Yosemite NP as an example, you can go pretty much any time and there is little to no traffic delays. Your kids will enjoy it big time.
5
Dec 02, 2025 07:16 PM
180 Posts
Joined May 2014
CheezycheetoDec 02, 2025 07:16 PM
180 Posts
Are these days actually overcrowded at all/most parks or are they just more crowded? I always see these free days every year but they never seem to align with my schedule or get off my lazy ass to go on these days lol.
1
Dec 02, 2025 07:38 PM
1,795 Posts
Joined Jan 2008
freefun4every1Dec 02, 2025 07:38 PM
1,795 Posts
Thought there's a pass to get additional free days. Hasn't free NP days existed forever

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Dec 02, 2025 07:53 PM
16 Posts
Joined May 2018
JohnC8875Dec 02, 2025 07:53 PM
16 Posts
Quote from jk_black :
"Trump's birthday".. really?

Edit: I am not attempting to get political. I am genuinely curious if it is normal to see current sitting president's bday to be notes/used for free admission days.
If you look at the previous list, that is obviously a jab at Juneteenth.
3
Dec 02, 2025 08:02 PM
1,014 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
darksiderisingDec 02, 2025 08:02 PM
1,014 Posts
Quote from jimx200 :
as a fyi, parks don't get "overwhelmed" since there are daily visitors limits in place.
The daily limits for places like Yosemite still result in overcrowding in the most popular locations. Most people only visit the same handful of sights in the valley, for example. The existence of a daily limit doesn't preclude that limit from still being high enough to cause crowding.
Dec 02, 2025 08:13 PM
74 Posts
Joined Dec 2007
ryanchappellDec 02, 2025 08:13 PM
74 Posts
Weren't the parks free 10-15 years ago?
This is their most crowded days!
1
Dec 02, 2025 09:15 PM
1,014 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
darksiderisingDec 02, 2025 09:15 PM
1,014 Posts
Quote from ryanchappell :
Weren't the parks free 10-15 years ago? This is their most crowded days!
Yosemite NP has charged an admissions fee for most of its existence as a NP. There's been a fee for a hundred years.
Dec 02, 2025 11:53 PM
10,307 Posts
Joined Oct 2011
jimx200Dec 02, 2025 11:53 PM
10,307 Posts
Quote from darksiderising :
The daily limits for places like Yosemite still result in overcrowding in the most popular locations. Most people only visit the same handful of sights in the valley, for example. The existence of a daily limit doesn't preclude that limit from still being high enough to cause crowding.
I'm in Yosemite many times a year with having a place 40 minutes away and the daily entrance limit absolutely prevents any overcrowding. It's why they started it during the covid bug.
1
Dec 03, 2025 12:53 AM
926 Posts
Joined Aug 2006
oh_dannyboyDec 03, 2025 12:53 AM
926 Posts
Quote from LessGreed :
Not really. All the ones we visited had $18+ fee ten years ago, must be even more now
I lived there - most of the government/national ones (e.g., National Gallery, National History Museum, etc.) are free; even some of the private ones (Victoria & Albert, Tate/Tate Modern, etc.) are as well.
1
Dec 03, 2025 02:12 AM
15 Posts
Joined Nov 2014
patweberDec 03, 2025 02:12 AM
15 Posts
Quote from jk_black :
"Trump's birthday".. really?

Edit: I am not attempting to get political. I am genuinely curious if it is normal to see current sitting president's bday to be notes/used for free admission days.

It's Flag Day!!!
6

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Dec 03, 2025 04:52 AM
1,178 Posts
Joined Nov 2017
SDJP2020Dec 03, 2025 04:52 AM
1,178 Posts
How ironic that the June free entrance day was (very likely) changed to celebrate the person whose admin severely cut NPS budgets. It could be flag day but that seems highly unlikely considering great american outdoors day and national public lands day were cut. Anyway, like the other person mentioned it's probably best to avoid these days for overcrowding.
Last edited by SDJP2020 December 2, 2025 at 09:13 PM.
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