DONALD Trump has granted Americans free access to US National Parks to mark his birthday.
The National Park Service has confirmed that the new fee-free day will begin in 2026.
It will allow Americans to enter any of its 116 parks, including tourist hotspots like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon for free on June 14.
The day is marked as “Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday” on the NPS website.
“Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply),” it adds.
The service also notes that as of 2026, the free entry on these days will only be for US citizens and residents.
“Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, there are two notable gaps in the calendar, with Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day removed from the list – two of America’s key civil rights holidays.
Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth honors the official end of slavery in the US and became a federal holiday under President Joe Biden.
It became a fee-free day at the National Parks in 2024.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is celebrated on the third Monday in January every year to honor the civil rights leader.
The White House has called the list of dates “patriotic fee-free days” that are part of the President’s plan to “Make America Beautiful Again” by making visiting the parks more affordable for citizens.
Trump will “always [put] American families first,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement to the press regarding the changes.
“These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
As of January 1, a new law will impose a $100 charge on certain tourists who wish to visit some of the most popular US parks.
The change hikes some entrance fees to $250 but American citizens will only need to pay $80.
2026 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
- February 16 – Presidents Day
- May 25 – Memorial Day
- June 14 – Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday
- July 3-5 – Independence Day weekend
- August 25 – 110th Birthday of the National Park Service
- September 17 – Constitution Day
- October 27 – Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday
- November 11 – Veterans Day
