Free National Parks Entry - April 16th, 2022

Grand Canyon National Park

About one fourth of the National Parks sites in the US have entry fees ranging from $5 to $35, and In 2022, there are 5 dates when those entry fees will be waived. The first one for the year has already past (January 17th), and next up is April 16th, to kick off National Parks week, during which there will be various special programs and events across the country. You can find the other dates for free entry here. If you want to take advantage of this next one it’s a good idea to make sure you plan ahead now, especially since some locations, such as Arches National Park, still require that you have secured a timed entry ticket before you arrive. For more information on that, see my post about it.

North Cascades National Park

Another thing to consider for free dates though, is that it’s likely that most parks will experience higher than average visitor levels. You have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to potentially deal with traffic and congestion issues. Remember also that if you plan on visiting a few parks within a year, it probably makes sense to get an annual America the Beautiful National Parks pass for $80, which allows unlimited entry not only to the National Parks that usually charge an entry fee, but also over 1,500 other federal recreation areas. With the pass, of course, you’d probably want to avoid the free days since you can go any day of the year without having to pay the entry fee.

I hope this helps in your plans to enjoy our National Parks, and whether or not you choose to take advantage of the free entry day on April 16th, please remember to always recreate responsibly.

Joshua Tree National Park