Mark your calendars and get ready to lace up your Danners. The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees for Great American Outdoors Day on August 4. With summer adventures beckoning and 37.8 million visitors having flocked to our national treasures last August alone, this year’s celebration promises to be a busy one, so it’s important to plan ahead.
This fee-free day is just one of seven opportunities this year to explore America’s most spectacular landscapes without paying entrance fees. While entrance fees are waived, some parks may still require reservations or timed entry tickets to manage crowd levels, particularly during peak hours or for specific areas.
Getty Images
For example, Yosemite National Park requires reservations from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the period of June 15 through August 15, which includes August 4. Muir Woods National Monument requires parking reservations year-round. And other parks like Arches, Glacier, Haleakalā, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Zion often require advance reservations or timed entry tickets, especially during peak seasons.
August’s timing couldn’t be better for West Coast adventurers seeking summer adventure. But it’s also even more imperative to enjoy the parks responsibly considering recent layoffs and budget cuts within the National Parks system. Whether you’re a seasoned park explorer or a first-time visitor, the fee-free day removes one barrier to experiencing these incredible destinations. But often these gratis days make for crowding and lots of excess waste. The tenets of leave no trace are absolutely imperative given the lack of staff to help maintain the parklands.
Colton Stiffler/Getty Images
This Great American Outdoors Act anniversary is a special one, especially given the current state of the national parks. The act was signed into law in 2020, establishing a new National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, authorizing the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to critical facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, and recreation areas.
So whether you’re chasing the golden hour light we’ve championed in our landscape photography tutorials or seeking the solitude we’ve celebrated in our wilderness camping features, it’s important to be mindful of your impact on the environment. Here’s a list of the other fee-free days throughout the year—including the upcoming National Public Lands Day in September.
- January 9: National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter Jr.
- January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- April 19: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 27: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day