Happy birthday to the National Park Service – 100 years in 2016!

2016 is the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, and all of us get a gift! There will be sixteen fee-free days in the national parks in 2016.

Fee free days are a great opportunity to explore the national parks, especially since there’s an entire free week in April and four days in a row in August!

All 4th graders and their families already get into all federal lands (including national parks) free in 2016 as part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative. If you have or know a 4th grader and don’t know about this program, be sure to check it out! And if you are or know a 4th grade teacher, pass along some great teaching resources that complement the program.

Everyone else, mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2016 and get ready to find your park and discover why national parks are America’s best idea.

January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
April 16 – 24: National Park Week
August 25 – 28: National Park Service Birthday
September 24: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day

North Cascades NP

Mt. Rainier NP

Hawaii Volcanoes NP

Mt. Hood National Forest

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Waterfall above Emerald Pools

The park maintains ropes for climbing the headlands

Zion National Park

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

Wind Cave National Park

Denali National Park

Glacier National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Memorial

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Devils Tower National Monument

Devils Tower National Monument

Redwood National Park

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Denali National Park

Saguaro National Park

Washington Monument

Death Valley National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Virgin Islands National Park

Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

Virgin Islands National Park

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

In addition, other federal lands (national wildlife refuges, national forests, BLM lands, etc.) also have announced fee-free days for 2016. Here’s a list.

Make it 2016 new year’s resolution to find your park. Enjoy your next visit to a national park, whether it’s for a week or a weekend!