The National Park Service has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from next year’s fee-free park days and added President Trump’s birthday, the agency announced. The revised calendar, effective January 1, also includes the National Park Service’s 110th anniversary (August 25), Constitution Day (September 17) and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27).
Trump’s birthday falls on June 14, which is also Flag Day. The agency said the dates are being designated as “patriotic fee-free days.” Under a new “America-first pricing” policy, however, non-U.S. residents will continue to be charged entrance fees on those days. At 11 of the nation’s most-visited parks, international visitors will face an additional $100 surcharge on top of standard entrance fees, the announcement said. The annual park pass for non-residents will rise to $250, while the annual pass for U.S. residents will be $80.
The changes follow a July White House executive order that directed higher fees for non-American visitors and urged preferential treatment for U.S. citizens and residents in access rules such as permits and lotteries. The Interior Department praised what it called President Trump’s commitment to making parks “more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people,” and described the selections as patriotic fee-free days. The department did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the policy “ensure[s] 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 comes amid other administration efforts to reshape how U.S. history is presented on federal lands, including guidance about flag signage that officials say could be interpreted as casting a negative light on past or living Americans.