Free entry to National Parks this Saturday to celebrate public lands

Zion National Park. Photo: Jamie Hagan

Celebrate National Public Lands day by visiting or volunteering at a national park this weekend!

Saturday, September 28, the National Park Service is waiving entry fees, a tradition that has been held since 1994. This has also consistently been the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort.

Last year, over 130 national parks hosted events with 7,600 volunteers donating an impressive 41,500 hours of service, according to NPS.

Events at the parks include volunteer activities, trail maintenance and educational programs to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of our public lands.

If you decide to volunteer on National Public Lands Day, you might receive a free one-day pass to any national park site.

See the list of National Public Lands Day events or check out all volunteer events at national parks by going to volunteer.gov and searching “National Public Lands Day.”

One More Free Entry Day in 2024

The last free entry day in 2024 will be November 11 in celebration of Veteran’s Day.

Many national parks have direct connections to the America military—there are dozens of battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate the service of American veterans. The NPS invites visitors to the parks to honor these veterans the the American freedoms they serve to protect.