It’s a new year and the National Park Service is continuing its popular Free Entrance Days program on select holiday weekends and special anniversaries. For the dates listed below, the normal entrance fees at national parks that charge them are waived. Whether you’re planning to visit a new park for the first time, or return to an old favorite, planning your visit for one of the Free Entrance Days is a great way to save a little money on your trip. Here are the dates for 2015:
January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day);
February 14-16 (Presidents Day Weekend);
April 18-19 (Opening weekend of National Park Week);
March 4 (75th Anniversary of Kings Canyon National Park – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks ONLY)
August 25 (the National Park Service’s 99th birthday);
September 25 (125th Anniversary of Sequoia National Park – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks ONLY)
September 26 (National Public Lands Day); and
November 11 (Veterans Day).
Note that only the entrance fees are waived — all other fees, such as campground reservation fees, are still in effect. Nonetheless, this is still a good deal, particularly if you just want to make a day trip to a nearby park and not have to pay for a seven-day pass. In California, the following national parks participate in the fee-waiver program:
Note that Yosemite National Park is currently proposing to increase its entrance fee to $30.00 per vehicle for seven days. This increase, if approved, will probably go into effect sometime in early 2015.
National Park Fee-Free Days for 2015
Note that only the entrance fees are waived — all other fees, such as campground reservation fees, are still in effect. Nonetheless, this is still a good deal, particularly if you just want to make a day trip to a nearby park and not have to pay for a seven-day pass. In California, the following national parks participate in the fee-waiver program:
Cabrillo National Monument (Normally $5.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Death Valley National Park (Normally $20.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Joshua Tree National Park (Normally $15.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (Normally $10.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Lava Beds National Monument (Normally $10.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Muir Woods National Monument (Normally $7.00 for adults and free for children 15 years of age and under)
Pinnacles National Park (Normally $10.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (Normally $20.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (Normally $5.00 per vehicle for one day or $10.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Yosemite National Park (Normally $20.00 per vehicle for seven days)
Note that Yosemite National Park is currently proposing to increase its entrance fee to $30.00 per vehicle for seven days. This increase, if approved, will probably go into effect sometime in early 2015.
Parks not listed above, such as Channel Islands National Park, Mojave National Preserve, and Point Reyes National Seashore don’t normally charge an admission fee. The National Park Service website has a complete listing of all National Park Service units in California that includes a handy interactive map to facilitate planning your visit.
If you’re planning to visit a national park outside of California, there’s also a complete by-state listing of participating national parks available.
Share this: