It's not too late to plan a little getaway before the year's end, and you don't always have to spend a pretty penny to do so.
There are still three more days left this year when all National Park Service sites will be free, making a trip to see some of the best sites nature has to offer a timely and affordable vacation option.
Only 108 of the more than 400 national parks typically charge entrance fees, but those include eight of U.S. News & World Report's top 10 parks on its 2024 list.
These eight include its No. 1 pick of Glacier National Park in Montana, its No. 2 in the three-state-stretching Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite in California, the Grand Canyon, Grand Teton in Wyoming, Zion in Utah, Denali in Alaska and Bryce Canyon in Utah.
Already formulating your road trip in your head? Here are the three free days you can visit any of them for free this year:
- Aug. 4: Celebrating the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 28: Celebrating National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Celebrating Veterans Day
There were a total of six for the year, but three have already passed: Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on Jan. 15, the first day of National Park Week on April 20 and Juneteenth on June 19.
Visitors going to any national park on the remaining three won't have to pay an entrance fee, but they will still have to cover any costs for activities like camping, boating, transportation or special tours, the NPS said.
But if these dates don't work and you're still itching to visit a few national parks soon, you could purchase the $80 annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
This allows for unlimited access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including those parks that have entrance fees.
Keep in mind that national parks are open every day of the year, and there's one in at least every state. On the not-free days, an entrance fee will typically range from $10 to $35.
