Spending time in the great outdoors is supposed to be one of life鈥檚 simple pleasures. But these days you can鈥檛 just hit the road, snag a visitor map, and hope for unpopulated trails or available campsites in any national park. At the National Park Service鈥檚 most popular spots, a combination of timed-entry ticket systems, hikes with user fees, and headache-inducing online reservations can turn what should be a respite into a chore.
While some national parks remain free to all, many of the most popular charge up to $35 per vehicle, making the annual America the Beautiful parks pass ($80) a steal if you鈥檙e planning to visit at least three parks.
Entrance fees typically cover one private vehicle and everyone inside it for up to seven days of in-and-out park usage, although commercial vehicles are charged an additional fee per tour guest. Fees go toward critical maintenance, staffing, and upgrades . Travelers looking to save some cash should consider checking out their favorite national park on one of the yearly fee-free days or logging 250 hours of volunteer work to earn an聽.
No matter how you wish to enjoy America鈥檚 most famous public lands, we鈥檝e created this handy guide to park fees and reservation information to make planning your next visit easier. Remember, entrance fees aren鈥檛 the only expense you鈥檒l have when visiting national parks; we鈥檝e listed a few notable additional expenses and considerations, including timed-entry reservations and permitted hikes, at certain locations.
Acadia
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Beginning this year, Acadia requires for visitors traveling up Cadillac Summit Road from May 25 to October 22. These timed-entry tickets cost $6 per vehicle and are available for two windows: sunrise and daytime.
Arches
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycles, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: In 2022, Arches will implement a pilot to prevent overcrowding. Visitors in vehicles entering the park will need to pay an additional $2 reservation-processing fee for entry dates that occur between April 3 and October 3 from 6 A.M. to 5 P.M. MST.
Badlands
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Big Bend
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Biscayne
Fees: None
Additional Info: The park charges a $25 fee for overnight stays (for up to two tents and up to six people) at either Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Bryce Canyon
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Canyonlands
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Capitol Reef
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, $10 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Carlsbad Caverns
Fees: $15 per adult, children age 15 and younger are free
Additional Info: Visitor fees are valid for three days after the initial entrance date. cost extra.
Channel Islands
Fees: None
Additional Info: A private boat or ferry is necessary to reach this park.
Congaree
Fees: None
Additional Info: The park does not charge for admission, camping, or ranger-led programs.
Crater Lake
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Cuyahoga Valley
Fees: None
Additional Info:聽Although admission is free, the park recommends making a donation to the .
Death Valley
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Denali
Fees: $15 per adult, children ages 15 and younger are free
Additional Info: This fee covers admission for seven days and may be . Tour and transit buses beyond Denali Park Road鈥檚 mile 15 are available for an .
Dry Tortugas
Fees: $15 per adult, children age 16 and younger are free
Additional Info:聽Because this is a remote island-based park, entrance fees may be . You can only reach the park via a (each $190 ticket includes entrance to the park), , or your own private boat or plane.
Everglades
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Gates of the Arctic
Fees: None
Additional Info:聽Although fees are not charged, the park requests that all travelers stop by one of its聽 prior to arrival.
Gateway Arch
Fees: $3 per adult, children age 15 and younger are free
Additional Info: This entrance fee does not include a to the top.
Glacier
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info:聽While fewer roads are open in the winter, rates during this season, which runs from November 1 to April 30, are more affordable: $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person without a vehicle. A timed-entry system will be implemented again in 2022 from May 27颅 to September 11; visitors will be charged a $2 service fee on when booking.
Glacier Bay
Fees: None
Additional Info:聽Backcountry campers and private boaters recreating in the park will need to obtain additional .
Grand Canyon
Fees: $35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Entrance fees may be .
Grand Teton
Fees: $35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Great Basin
Fees: None
Additional Info: are an additional fee.
Great Sand Dunes
Fees:聽$25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Entrance fees may be .
Great Smoky Mountains
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Guadalupe Mountains
Fees: $15 per adult, children age 16 and younger are free
Additional Info: Fee covers park entrance for up to seven days.
Haleakala
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Unlike most parks, these fees only cover vehicles for from the entrance date.
Hawaii Volcanoes
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
Hot Springs
Fees: None
Additional Info: Admission, guided park tours, and the historic Fordyce Museum .
Indiana Dunes
Fees: None currently; however, beginning March 31, 2022, prices will be instituted: $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info:聽聽Fees will cover a seven-day entry pass.
Isle Royale
Fees: $7 per person
Additional Info: Visitors may pay their entrance fees .
Joshua Tree
Fees: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Visitors can also purchase their weekly entrance passes .
Katmai
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Kenai Fjords
Fees: None
Additional Info: This park also does not charge .
Kings Canyon
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info:聽Annual passes, as well as those for vehicles and motorcycles, are .
Kobuk Valley
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Lake Clark
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Lassen Volcanic
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info:听滨苍 decrease in price to $10.
Mammoth Cave
Fees: None (surface activities and trails only)
Additional Info: start at $8 for adults; children age 6 to 12 cost $6, children under 5 are free.
Mesa Verde
Fees: From May 1 to October 31, entrance fees are $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: During the winter, entrance fees drop to $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person without a vehicle. Annual passes, as well as those for vehicles and motorcycles, are聽.
Mount Rainier
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: None
National Park of American Samoa
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
New River Gorge
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
North Cascades
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Olympic
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: The park allows visitors to purchase vehicle, annual, and motorcycle passes .
Petrified Forest
Fees:聽$25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: None
Pinnacles
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: To help avoid entrance-station wait times, the park allows visitors to prepurchase passes .
Redwood
Fees: None
Additional Info: The adjoining redwood state parks (Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek) collect . Federal pass holders will not be charged.
Rocky Mountain
Fees: Single-day passes cost $25 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: Visitors who want a seven-day vehicle pass will be charged $35. Passes may be 聽in advance. To avoid overcrowding, an entry-ticket system will be implemented this year from May 27 to October 10; travelers have the option to choose a timed window to visit the park, with or without Bear Lake Road. A $2 service fee will be charged per ticket.听滨苍 2021, the park proposed a $, which may take effect this year.
Saguaro
Fees:聽$25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: The park encourages visitors to pay their entrance fees , to reduce cash transactions.
Sequoia
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: Save time at the entrance station by purchasing your vehicle pass .
Shenandoah
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: Beginning March 1, visitors looking to access the Old Rag area will need to reserve an additional ; a $1 nonrefundable reservation fee will be charged per ticket.
Theodore Roosevelt
Fees:聽$30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle
Additional Info: Visitors may purchase their entrance passes , to save time at the entry station.
Virgin Islands
Fees: None
Additional Info:聽Although the park does not charge for general entry, there is a $5 per person (age 16 and above) for Trunk Bay.
Voyageurs
Fees: None
Additional Info: In 2021, there was a for camping and tours.
White Sands
Fees:聽$25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: None
Wind Cave
Fees: None (surface activities and trails only)
Additional Info: Cave tours are available for an . In 2021, there was a for these tours to provide funding for necessary upgrades.
Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias
Fees: None
Additional Info: None
Yellowstone
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: Visitors may purchase their entrance passes in advance聽.
Yosemite
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info: Timed-entry tickets will be required during peak hours, 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., until September 30, and are ($2 per vehicle) beginning at 8 a.m. on March 23.
Zion
Fees:聽$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, $20 per person without a vehicle聽
Additional Info:聽This is the first year the park will require an to hike the popular Angels Landing Trail; price is $3 per person, plus a $6 nonrefundable reservation fee.