The First Free Day to Enter Every U.S. National Park Is April 19

• The National Park Service is offering visitors free entry on April 19, 2025.
• April 19 kicks off National Park Week, a celebration of parks with special programming and activities.
• Yellowstone National Park was recently ranked as the best park in the United States by Travel + Leisure readers.

There’s an easy way to save money on an outdoor getaway this month.

Each April, the National Park Service celebrates National Park Week with daily programming and special events. This year, the special week kicks off on April 19, with visitors also receiving free admission to most national parks on that day as well. (National Park Week runs from April 19 to April 27.)

This year's theme for National Park Week is “National Park Playlist,” which includes a groovy, retro logo of a vinyl album and musical connections for each day of the week. Families may want to plan an event or outing on April 19, as in addition to the free admission, it is also National Junior Ranger Day. Children can participate in special park activities and earn a special Junior Ranger badge.

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“The National Park Service protects our nation's greatest treasures and tells our shared stories,” the park service shares on its website about the significance of National Park Week.

Travelers should be advised that the free entry only extends to admission, and that reservation fees or timed entry fees may be collected or required to manage crowd capacity.  The National Park Service hosts a variety of free-entry days throughout the year, including Aug. 4, which was the signing date of the Great American Outdoors Act, and Sept. 27, which is National Public Lands Day.

For travelers seeking destination inspiration, recent park rankings may help. T+L readers ranked Yellowstone National Park as the best park in the United States in the 2024 World's Best Awards. Hiking website and app AllTrails recently published a list of the top national parks from user reviews and analysis: Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah took the top spot, followed by the nearby Zion National Park and Mount Rainier National Park in Washington.