On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17, all federal public lands are open to the public for free, including the Mighty 5 here in Utah.
This means that visiting national parks and wildlife refuges owned by the United States is free.
MLK Day is one of five days in 2022 when entrance fees to federal public lands will be waived.
Free entry will also be offered on the following dates this year:
- April 16 - Kickoff of National Park Week
- August 4 - Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 24 - National Public Lands Day
- November 11 - Veterans Day
Many national parks have no entrance fees at all, although around 110 of the more than 400 have fees ranging from $5 to $35. At parks where admission costs are necessary, all day-use visitors will be exempt from paying the daily entrance fee.
Day tickets for state parks should still be reserved ahead of time, since several parks are likely to hit capacity.
Military members and their families, veterans, Gold Star Families, fourth-grade students, and eligible NPS volunteers can get free annual passes to more than 2,000 federal recreation places, including all national parks. A free lifetime pass is also available to US citizens with a permanent impairment.
