2012 National Park Week Offers Free Admission to All 397 National Parks
2012 National Park Week
In the Spring of every year, the U.S. National Park Service hosts “National Park Week“. I love highlighting this because the U.S. national parks are truly a great treasure and, hey, it’s free.
This year’s National Park Week will be April 21-29. During the week, you can get free entrance and admission at over 100 national parks that otherwise charge a fee to get in. With this event, all 397 national parks do not charge entrance/admission, commercial tour, or transportation fees.
If this mild weather keeps up, you may want to avoid the weekends.
For a complete list of the parks that are waiving fees, the NPS has put together a free park entrance list.
Almost three-quarters of national parks do not charge entrance fees at all, but the most popular ones do. Here are a few of the most popular parks where you would otherwise have to pay to get in that are participating:
- Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Yosemite National Park (California) – I’ve been to Yosemite in late April, and it’s the best time to go!
- Zion National Park (Utah)
- Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Yellowstone National Park (Idaho)
- Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
National Park week does not cover tours, camping, concessions, or third-party fees, unless the individual park states otherwise.
Be careful with high parks that are at a high altitude, suffer from spring-time flash floods, or are in northern locations this time of year. The weather has been very mild this year, but that doesn’t mean it will continue. Check with the park that you’re interested in visiting to identify with roads and campsites may still be closed.
2012 Free National Park Days
If you can’t make it out in April, you can also take advantage of 3 other free national park entrance fee days this year:
- June 9 – Get Outdoors Day
- September 29 – National Public Lands Day
- November 10-12 – Veterans Day weekend
Free Entrance to National Parks Year-Round?
National park passes are often of of the free things you can get from the library. Check with your library for restrictions on how long you can reserve the pass. You may have to book it a few months in advance.
National Park Discussion:
- Have you been to a national park during free National Park Week or on a free day?
- What is your favorite national park?
- What national park do you want to visit next and why?
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I am G.E. Miller, & 
Very cool. I may have to plan a roadtrip down to the States to check out one of these parks. I really enjoy getting out in nature for some fresh air and great views.
Thanks for the tip on libraries having park passes. I don’t believe my library has national parks passes, but it does have state parks passes. My family and I are going camping on BLM land next weekend and we’ll pick up a state park pass in case we want to get some water or see what the state park has to offer.
You neglected two of my favorite parks, Arches and Canyonlands!
This is awesome! I had no idea National Parks participated in something like this and I’m a huge fan of hiking, camping and being outdoors. I visit Colorado almost every year but have never been to the Rocky Mountain National Park. This is a fantastic excuse for me to go there. I’m excited! Thanks so much for sharing.
Whoa, had no idea this existed and I can’t believe I’m going to be missing out on it this year! I’m traveling during that week. Yosemite is almost right in my backyard and I’ve always wanted to go to Yellowstone. I’ll have to watch out for National Park Week dates in 2013.
Yosemite in your back yard? Jealous!! If you are traveling that week, check out the other dates throughout the rest of the year.
I’ve never been to a National Park on one of these free week or day promotions. Until now, I didn’t know it existed. Unfortunately, I live in Minnesota where the closest good national park is quite a ways away, so I probably won’t get to one during that week in April. My favorite national park is probably Yellowstone. It would then be followed by Yosemite, then Grand Tetons, then Grand Canyon, then Arches. I absolutely LOVE national parks and could spend my entire summer traveling throughout them hiking, camping, taking pictures and just enjoying life.
That is awesome. I never knew they did this. To bad I don’t live near any. Speaking of free…..did anyone get free Rita’s on the 1st day of Spring?
I am from Colorado and the RM National Park is by far the most beautiful I have ever been to. I have family in Utah and I visit regularly and have seen many of their National Parks but I still have not seen better than the Rocky Mountains. It really is quite amazing. I had no idea about national park week, though. I always would go later in the year during the summer months. But, talking about this is definitely getting me itching to go out sooner!
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Excellent information. The posting is timely because it gives me a month to plan a trip. Thank you.