National parks are high on the list of popular destinations for family travel. These protected, treasured landscapes and natural wonders include Grand Canyon, Arizona; Yosemite, California; Zion and Arches, Utah; and the dramatic Maine coast at Acadia National Park.
If you take your family to visit these most popular parks or to others, including Yellowstone, Washington’s Olympic coastline, Grand Tetons in Wyoming, or Craters of the Moon in Idaho, you’ll pay admission fees of up to $35.
But budget-minded travelers can plan ahead for a free visit to any of the 108 national parks charging admission. On four days in 2023, all admission fees will be waived at all parks. The days are:
- April 22, first day of National Park Week
- Aug. 4, anniversary of Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 23, National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11, Veterans Day
The fee waiver applies to admission only, not for camping, commercially operated tours or outside concessions.
On any day of the year, you’ll find many other national parks and monuments that never charge admission. These include popular parks such as Redwood National Park, California; Hot Springs, Arkansas; New River Gorge, West Virginia: and North Cascades National Park, Washington.
You can also buy an annual Pass for $80, which admits your whole family to all parks, a bargain if you plan to visit three or more major parks in a year.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedDestinations / Europe
Sep 13, 2024Germany Welcomes Families to Celebrate 35th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
I may be dating myself here, but I remember the day the wall fell in Berlin like it was yesterday. It was a pretty big deal — sadly mitigated by “pieces of the wall” later being sold in our local department store as memorabilia — and while it signified the end of a divided Germany and the Cold War, its memory lives on as a reminder the human race can do so much better.
Sponsored Content
Travel to Madrid with the Family and Find Activities to Keep Everyone Happy!
If life were a city, it’d be Madrid. Sometimes it can be quite the challenge to find a destination just right for the whole family. Different tastes and ages make agreeing on where to go seem impossible. Unless, of course, the destination you have in mind is Madrid. With all of its new immersive museums, musicals, soccer stadiums and monuments like Royal Palace, anyone who suggests coming to the capital is sure to get a unanimous yes!
Hotels
Sep 13, 20244 of the Best Hotel Kids Clubs Around the World
These four hotels around the world offer family travelers excellent amenities and exciting activities for young guests through kids club programs.
Airlines
Sep 13, 2024Airline Offers Limited-Time $2 Kids Fares for Trip to Europe
Hurry! Low-cost Icelandic airline PLAY has a limited-time deal for family travelers: Book a round-trip adult fight and pay just $2 for a kid’s ticket. But you must book fast; this exclusive deal ends Sept. 17.
Sponsored Content
Share Miles with Family and Friends with United Airlines
As you look ahead to winter travel, United Airlines and its MileagePlus loyalty program introduced MileagePlus miles pooling, which allows members to contribute and combine miles into a joint account. Groups of up to five members can now share and redeem miles in one linked account. As the first and only major U.S. airline to offer this feature, United also allows any MileagePlus member, whether relatives or close friends, to be in a pool with other members.
Hotels
Sep 12, 2024Destination Kohler to Once Again Offer Frozen Fairways
With school back in session and cooler temperatures creeping in, it’s time to start planning winter family travel. While Destination Kohler, a 5-star and Five-Diamond resort in Kohler, Wisconsin, boasts plentiful warm-weather activities — like golf, fishing, canoeing and more — it also transforms into a welcoming wonderland in winter. Its Frozen Fairways programming includes a variety of inclusive activities appealing to a wide range of travelers.
ShareThis