Find out when you can get into national parks for free in 2026 during National Park Week
In addition to the many activities during National Park Week, there will also be one day when entrance fees to all national parks are waived for U.S. residents, allowing them to get in for free.
How to celebrate National Park Week
From April 22 to April 30, 2023, celebrate the more than 400 national park locations across the country with a variety of fun National Park Week events, programs and experiences both in person and online.
National Park Week is the time to get out and celebrate America's national parks, and the dates for this year were just announced.
The Department of the Interior announced on Friday that National Park Week will take place Aug. 22-30, 2026.
This year's National Park Week will celebrate the National Park Service's 110th birthday and 250th anniversary of American Independence.
HERE ARE THE TOP 10 MOST POPULAR NATIONAL PARKS ACROSS AMERICA
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the fall.
(NPS / FOX Weather)
During this week, national parks across the U.S. will feature hundreds of programs, family activities and patriotic events across the country under the theme "Celebrate America’s Story."
In addition to the many activities during National Park Week, there will also be one day when entrance fees to all national parks are waived for U.S. residents, allowing them to get in for free.
It falls on the National Park Service's birthday — Aug. 25.
THESE FOUR POPULAR NATIONAL PARKS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR 2026 VISITOR RESERVATIONS
The landscape of Canyonlands National Park in Moab, Utah, is seen in April 2024.
(Canyonlands National Park 4/2024 / FOX Weather)
The week kicks off with National Junior Ranger Day, when young visitors can take part in hands-on activities, learn about America’s parks and earn their official Junior Ranger badges, the NPS said.
"From sunrise hikes to star-filled night skies, from historic battlefields to breathtaking natural wonders, there is a park and a story waiting for every visitor during National Park Week," the National Park Service said.
In addition to celebrating the birthday of the National Park Service, the week will focus on America's 250th birthday.
FILE - Misty, foggy, and cloudy views are seen along the Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado, United States near the Alpine Visitor Center on July 14, 2018.
(Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto / Getty Images)
The NPS said the occasion will help Americans "reflect on the nation’s history and celebrate its enduring promise."
Throughout the year, national parks will host hundreds of special programs, commemorations and exhibits tied to the founding of the United States, including events at many of the historic places where America’s story began, the NPS said.
To learn more about National Park Week, click here.