How To Get Into U.S. National Parks Without Paying A Penny
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
Exploring America's national parks can be a fantastic way to get out into nature, but if the ticket fees are making you hesitate, you may be able to get in for free.
If you are currently in the U.S. military, you and your dependents can get a Military Annual Pass, and Gold Star families and veterans are entitled to Military Lifetime Passes.
The Access Pass is available to those with permanent disabilities. If you have volunteered 250 hours of your time to federal recreation sites, you can get a Volunteer Pass.
If you don't qualify for any passes, you can visit on specific days. All the parks managed by the National Park Service are open to the public for free on a few select dates.
For example, you can visit many parks for free on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the first day of National Park Week, Juneteenth, Veterans Day, and more.
In addition, the majority of National Park Service sites are already free. National parks with no entrance fees include the Great Smoky Mountains, Katmai, and Redwood.