The National Parks' Last Fee-Free Day of 2026: Free Entrance for U.S. Citizens and Residents on Veterans Day, November 11
The National Park Service (NPS) announced that Veterans Day, November 11, is the last fee-free day of 2026 in the national parks: every NPS site that charges an entrance fee will waive it that day for U.S. citizens and residents, while other fees, including timed-entry and reservation fees, still apply.
The 2026 calendar lists ten fee-free days across eight occasions, including Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, the Independence Day weekend, the National Park Service's 110th birthday, Constitution Day and Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, with Veterans Day closing the year. The waiver covers the entrance fee only; camping, parking, ferries and special tours are not waived.
Separately, current U.S. military members and their dependents qualify for a free annual pass, and U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Families qualify for a free lifetime pass, covering more than 2,000 federal recreation areas. California's Joshua Tree, Yosemite and Death Valley national parks are among the sites waiving entrance fees; each park's opening and reservation requirements are posted on its NPS page.
(Source: National Park Service)
Source: National Park Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 约书亚树国家公园西入口（美国国家公园管理局公共领域照片） / Joshua Tree National Park west entrance (National Park Service, public domain)
