Hey there! Can you tell there’s an extra skip in our step today!?! The National Park Service recently announced the dates to visit a national park for free in 2022.
It’s YOUR chance to visit YOUR national parks without paying an entrance fee. Get ready to have some fun next year!
About National Park Fees
Here’s what you need to know about national park fees:
Of the 400+ units in the National Park Service, just over 100 units charge an entrance fee of some sort.
The most common fees are per vehicle entrance fees and per visitor admission.
80% of fees collected stay in the park where it was collected and roughly 20% is used to benefit parks that do not collect entrance fees.
Fee dollars are used to pay for all types of expenses related to operating a park. That might include repair and maintenance of facilities, habitat restoration, law enforcement, recreation programming, and emergency services like ambulance and rescue teams.
Quick Look
How to Visit a National Park for Free in 2022
2022 Fee-Free Entrance Dates
The National Park Service again chose 5 dates for free entrance. On these days, the parks waive entrance fees to provide all Americans with the opportunity to visit the parks.
Entrance free dates for 2022 include:
- 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
Other Ways to Visit a National Park for Free
How to Plan Your Next National Park Vacation
Decided you would like to visit a national park for free in 2022, but a bit lost on where to start? That’s what we started Parkchasers for!
We have hundreds of posts dedicated to unique experiences in national parks and are always looking for ways we can help people plan a vacation.
Check out the links below for our own #parkchasing guides. We have information on the more than 90 national park units we’ve visited including:
You can also connect with our growing Park Chaser Facebook community. Post a question or trip planning idea with others on a quest to visit every national park.
