Overview
- The National Park Service published a 2026 resident-only fee‑free schedule that drops Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adds June 14 (Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday), along with Presidents Day, Memorial Day, July 3–5, the NPS 110th anniversary, Constitution Day, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday and Veterans Day.
- Free admission on those dates applies only to U.S. citizens and residents, with foreign visitors excluded from the waivers.
- Nonresident pricing for 2026 is set at a $250 annual pass and a $100 per‑person surcharge at 11 of the most visited parks, while Americans retain the $80 annual pass.
- The department is launching fully digital America the Beautiful passes with new patriotic designs, immediate mobile activation, and coverage for two motorcycles per pass.
- Civil-rights groups and Democratic lawmakers condemned the removals as downplaying Black history, the NPCA noted the loss of MLK Day service projects, and a reported DOI memo directs parks to remove DEI‑related gift‑shop items by Jan. 1, 2026.