National Parks Offering Free Entry on ‘Great American Outdoors Day’

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has designated Wednesday, Aug. 4, as Great American Outdoors Day and is opening up every single U.S. National Park for free entry.

The Great American Outdoors Act was passed last year with bipartisan support and makes unprecedented investments in national parks, public lands and American Indian schools, according to National Parks Traveler.

Entrance fees will be waived at all parks on August 4 at all fee-collecting public lands managed by the Department of the Interior. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use and use of special areas, remain in effect.

“Creating new jobs and stimulating our economy is a top priority of the Biden-Harris administration. Through the Great American Outdoors Act, we are investing in the American people, and in the future of our public lands and sacred spaces,” Haaland said in a statement. “I invite all Americans to experience the beauty and bounty of our nation’s public lands – not just on August 4 but every day of the year.”

Parks will also be free on Wednesday, Aug. 25 (National Park Service’s 105th birthday), Saturday, Sept. 25 (National Public Lands Day) and Thursday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

But while most of the 423 national parks are open, visitors may find limited services in and around national parks as crowding has become a problem. Even Congress is getting involved at this point as a post-pandemic boom in national park tourism has left lawmakers wondering how to preserve nature and the visitor experience amid increased traffic, crowds and waiting times.

“Yosemite is one of the most spectacular places in the world, but I can guarantee the people in that traffic jam weren’t enjoying it,” said Maine’s Independent Senator, Angus King, while presenting a photo of a mountain road backup on Wednesday to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee on National Parks.

June 2021 set monthly attendance records in many parks, and it has led to multihour waits for popular trails, increased litter, wildlife disruption and defacement of American Indian artifacts, Kristen Brengel, senior vice president at the National Parks Conservation Association, told a Congressional subcommittee.

“The growth in visitation is posing one of the greatest challenges NPS has ever faced,” she said.