Overview
- The confirmed 2026 fee-free schedule removes Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adds June 14, which is Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday.
- The calendar emphasizes what the agency describes as patriotic observances, listing Presidents Day, Memorial Day, June 14, July 3–5, the National Park Service’s 110th anniversary on August 25, Constitution Day, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, and Veterans Day.
- Fee-free entry will apply only to U.S. citizens and residents, while nonresidents must pay standard entrance fees plus new nonresident charges.
- New costs for international visitors include a $250 nonresident America the Beautiful pass and a $100 per-person surcharge at select high-traffic parks such as Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, with parts of the policy beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes as prioritizing U.S. taxpayers, as civil-rights groups and online critics objected that dropping the two civil-rights holidays de-emphasizes Black history.