Last National Park Fee-Free Day of 2026 Falls on November 11: Free Entry for U.S. Citizens and Residents on Veterans Day
The National Park Service (NPS) says the last fee-free day of 2026 is Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, when entrance fees will be waived for U.S. citizens and residents at every park and memorial that normally charges them, about 106 fee-charging sites in all.
Only the entrance fee is waived. Camping, tours and special-use permits are still charged as usual, and timed-entry or reservation fees may still apply at some parks, so visitors should check the rules for their destination before setting out.
Starting in 2026, fee-free days apply only to U.S. citizens and residents. Nonresident visitors still pay the regular entrance fee on those days, and at 11 of the most-visited parks, nonresidents age 16 and older also pay a $100 per-person surcharge.
Veterans, current service members and their dependents, and Gold Star family members do not need to wait for a fee-free day: eligible visitors qualify for a free Military Lifetime Pass covering national parks and other federal recreation lands year-round.
The Park Service set ten fee-free days across eight occasions in 2026, and November 11 is the final one.
(Source: National Park Service)
Source: National Park Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 大峡谷国家公园（资料图）。Tuxyso 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Grand Canyon National Park (file photo). Photo by Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
