Visitors planning trips to national parks, including Alabama sites, should be aware that the National Park Service is making significant changes to its fee-free holiday schedule.

Starting in 2026, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will no longer qualify as free-admission days at national parks and national park sites . Instead, the NPS is introducing new “patriotic fee-free days,” including the full July 4th weekend, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service and the birthday of President Trump on June 14, which coincides with Flag Day.

Previously, these holidays offered free entry to about 433 NPS sites.

Understanding the impact of the NPS fee change

The holiday shift comes amid broader policy changes aimed at the NPS’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion

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