In a recent press release, the U.S. National Park Service announced the six days in 2021 where free admission will be offered to everyone:
- January 18: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 17: First day of National Park Week
- August 4: One year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- August 25: National Park Service Birthday
- September 25: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
While two-thirds of national parks (over 300) do not charge entrance fees, that other third includes everybody’s bucket-list parks — places like Joshua Tree, Glacier, Yosemite and Yellowstone, which all charge at least $25 per vehicle.
If you do choose to capitalize on one of these days, head to your chosen park’s Instagram page beforehand for updates on COVID protocol, plus helpful tips on how to avoid the crowds. (Park-goers were on that beat well before the arrival of the pandemic.) In a park like Joshua Tree, for instance, that might mean arriving before 10 a.m. via the north or south entrance — the west entrance is always packed — and making a point to see landmarks not named Hidden Valley, Barker Dam or Skull Rock.
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