The National Park Service has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from next year’s fee-free national park days and added President Trump’s birthday to the list, the agency announced, part of broader changes tied to the administration’s approach to federal lands.
Trump’s birthday (June 14, which is also Flag Day) will be added alongside the 110th anniversary of the NPS (August 25), Constitution Day (September 17) and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27). The revised calendar takes effect January 1.
Under a new “America-first pricing” policy, non-U.S. residents will still pay entrance fees on those dates. At 11 of the nation’s most-visited parks, international visitors will face an extra $100 surcharge on top of standard entrance fees, and the annual pass for non-residents will rise to $250; the annual pass for U.S. residents will be $80.
The changes follow a July White House executive order directing higher fees for non-American visitors and urging preferential treatment for citizens and residents in access rules, including permits and lotteries. The Interior Department described the dates as “patriotic fee-free days,” praising what it called Trump’s commitment to making parks “more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.” The department did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the policies “ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share.” The calendar revision follows other administration moves to reshape how U.S. history is presented on federal lands, including guidance to flag signage deemed to cast a negative light on past or living Americans.