All your favorite national parks will be free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What to know
The National Park Service is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free admission to more than 400 park sites across the country.
It’s one of just five days the public can visit any national park without an entrance fee in 2023, according to officials, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, being the first.
“The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee,” the National Park Service said on its website.
The free entrance fee offered does not include amenity or user fees including “camping, boat launches, transportation or special tours,” according to the National Park Service.
In addition to the free entrance fees for all parks, the park service said it will host several special events and ranger programs to honor Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.
“Commonly called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or MLK Day, the third Monday of January is a federal holiday to honor his life and legacy. Places where he made history and of the greater Civil Rights Movement he influenced are preserved in many national parks and in local communities around the country,” the National Park Service said.
The next free day to visit the parks will be on April 22, the first day of National Park Week.
People interested in visiting a national park near them can explore their options with the interactive website created by the National Park Foundation and the National Park Service.
