You Can Get Into Your Favorite Park for Free on April 17 for National Park Week

Start making your hiking plans now: The NPS will kick off National Park Week, its annual celebration of all things parks, with a fee-free day on August 17.

In a press release, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said that “every national park has its own unique story to tell, yet so much of our nation’s shared heritage can be found in the towering forests and vast desert expanses that make up our National Park System.”

“The outdoors has also proven to be a welcome refuge during the past year of the pandemic,” Haaland said. “I encourage everyone to enjoy the beauty and wonder of our national parks safely and responsibly.”

Running from April 17-24, this year’s National Park Week will feature themed days like Transformation Tuesday (dedicated to how parks change over time), VIP (Volunteers in Parks Sunday), and BARK Ranger Day (for dog owners); most of the programming will be online. April 17 will be the second of six planned fee-free days this year:

• 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