Dec 30, 2021
Photo by Josh Carter on Unsplash
Yosemite National Park is one of the many parks that will be free during certain days in 2022..
The U.S. National Park Service announced five days when you can explore the great outdoors for no price at all.
Mark your calendars, budget travelers: The National Park Service announced its “entrance-fee free” dates for 2022. On these days, the more than 100 park sites that normally charge visitors to get in will offer complimentary admission to everyone. In total, there are five free days throughout the year.
In 2022, you can visit U.S. national parks for no fee on these dates:
Note that this waiver does not include fees for activities such as commercial tours, transportation, or campsites and third-party concessions.
Days with no entrance fee are a perfect opportunity to revisit a favorite park or explore a new one. Of the 419 parks managed by the National Park Service, 108 charge regular entrance fees ranging from $5 to $35 that will be waived. This includes popular parks like Yosemite in California, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Olympic in Washington, Zion in Utah, and Acadia in Maine.
If you’d rather beat the crowds and use this opportunity to explore some less-visited, though equally scenic, national parks, then consider spending the day at Shenandoah in Virginia, Sequoia and Kings Canyon in California, or Guadalupe in Texas.
For avid parkgoers, the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is only $80 ($20 for seniors; free for active military members) and allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas year-round.
This article originally appeared online on January 12, 2017; it was updated in December 2021 to include current information.
>>Next: 10 Less-Crowded Alternatives to the Most Popular U.S. National Parks
Sign up for the Daily Wander newsletter for expert travel inspiration and tips
Please enter a valid email address.
Read our privacy policy