National Park Week starts Saturday – and that’s a free entry day for all NPS sites

By Forrest Brown, CNN

(CNN) — National Park Week starts on Saturday, and it also starts off with a bang-for-your-buck.

That’s because every US National Park Service site will have free entry on Saturday. NPS manages almost 430 sites, and the majority of them already offer free entry every day. But this is your chance to get into the coveted, big-name national parks and other sites without paying a fee.

That includes legendary parks such as Yosemite, which normally has an entry fee of $20 per person or $35 per vehicle. (Note: You’ll still need a reservation to drive into Yosemite on weekends and holidays from April 13 to June 30.)

If you can’t take advantage of the deal this Saturday, you’ll still have four more chances at the free entry offers in 2024. They will be:

• June 19 (Wednesday): Juneteenth National Independence Day
• August 4 (Sunday): Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• September 28 (Saturday): National Public Lands Day
• November 11 (Monday): Veterans Day

Given how popular and crowded the famous parks have become in recent years, it might be a good idea to plan ahead, arrive early and check online for potential timed entries on the free days.

Check this link for possible closures before you head out for a trip or search for the specific site online. Any number of things can prompt partial or full closures of sites – from late-season blizzards and active bear sightings to wildfires and human overcrowding. Here’s a full list of the NPS sites that usually charge an entry fee.

National Park Week 2024 isn’t a seven-day affair. It will last until Sunday, April 28. Each day of the celebration has a theme. Monday, for instance, will land on Earth Day. And Saturday, April 27, will be Junior Ranger Day.

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