Ginny Roscamp, Senior Press Secretary, Federal Communications, Sierra Club, ginny.roscamp@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Sierra Club is criticizing the recent announcement by the Interior Department that it is changing the list of dates for free entry into national parks in 2026. Two holidays have been removed from the list — Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19) and Juneteenth (June 19) — while one holiday has been added — Flag Day (June 14), which is also Donald Trump’s birthday. Non-U.S. residents will also be required to pay entrance fees on fee-free days in 2026, which is a change from prior years.
The announcement comes as part of a broader set of changes to the entrance fee structures at national parks, including increasing entrance fees for non-residents at 11 of the most visited parks, and increasing fees for non-residents for annual national park passes.
“Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth symbolize justice, freedom, and service, and they honor the ongoing work of making our country whole. Removing free entry to national parks on these federal holidays is a step backward. At a time when we should be expanding opportunities for everyone to connect with our shared public lands, this move shows just how far the administration will go to sidestep our nation’s complex history,” said Gerry James, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club’s Outdoors For All campaign.
These changes and other issues were addressed at a National Parks Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, December 9. At the hearing, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said, “Rest assured, folks, when this president is in the past, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth will not only have fee-free national park admission, they will occupy, again, incredible places of pride in our nation's history.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.