This was a hell of a year, leaving many of us scrambling to unwind in one of the country鈥檚 treasured natural places. If you鈥檙e looking to get outside without dropping cash at the听entrance station (which can cost as much as $35 per car, depending on the park), you鈥檙e in luck. We鈥檝e compiled a list of all the days the national parks are free in 2021, with tips on听how听you can get involved and celebrate during听these park-centric holidays.
January 18:听Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 Birthday
Dr. King鈥檚 legacy in the parks system was cemented when he delivered his famous 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥 speech atop the steps of the in 1963, flanked by rangers and throngs of supporters. These days听his birth home and childhood neighborhood in Atlanta are a designated , and the 45-mile-long path of the voting rights march of 1965听was appointed听as the . Celebrated on the third Monday in January, this National Park听Service holiday is also designated as a day of service, with abundant听parks-related .
April 17: The听First Day of National Park Week
first started听in 1991 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NPS. Since then听it has grown into a full-blown extravaganza of special events, digital programs, and family-friendly ranger talks designed to inspire stewardship and encourage more people to go outside and . Celebrate by exploring a new location, donating to the (a听nonprofit that cohosts the week), or staying home, kicking up your feet, and enjoying one of these .
August 4:听The Anniversary of the Signing of the Great American Outdoors Act
Though the last four years were often tumultuous and destructive to our nation鈥檚 public lands, there was one piece of bipartisan legislation that stood out among the fray. Aimed at tackling the $12 billion dollar , the Great American Outdoors Act was signed on August 4, 2020, fully financing the Land and Water Conservation Fund and pledging $9.5 billion dollars over five years to address infrastructure needs. This new, fee-free day is being permanently introduced for the first time in 2021.
August 25:听The National Park Service鈥檚 Birthday
When many of the national parks were first founded, they struggled to secure听the funding and protection they desperately needed to ensure that future generations could enjoy them. Shepherds set their sheep loose to graze in Yosemite鈥檚 meadows, and vandals ravaged Yellowstone. Often听it fell to the and its听 to police the parks. Eventually, it was determined that a central听government agency was needed to finance and manage them effectively. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation that would establish the . This year marks the , with virtual and in-person celebrations taking place across the country.
September 25:听National Public Lands Day
Organized annually by the , National Public Lands Day is held on the fourth Saturday of听September and is the largest single-day volunteer event for the country鈥檚 public lands. This听date听is intended to inspire environmental stewardship, utilizing the hashtag , and most visitors who choose to will receive a free one-day national park pass to come back and recreate in nature on their own time. Last year听over 77,000 people participated in the organization鈥檚 296 virtual and in-person events.
November 11:听Veterans Day
The military has always played an integral role in maintaining and upholding our national parks. From mounted soldiers guarding giant sequoias to reserve officers of the U.S. Army leading Civilian Conservation Corps camps during Franklin D. Roosevelt鈥檚 New Deal, many of the natural wonders we鈥檙e privileged to visit today exist in their pristine state because of military听involvement. The Park Service also protects a large number of , leaving no shortage of places where you can听explore and pay tribute on this day. In October, the Department of the Interior announced that all U.S. veterans听and Gold Star families听shall also receive to the parks, encouraging them to decompress in more than 2,000 federal recreation areas.