Is there anything more American than paying a visit to one of the U.S. National Parks? Spending the day (or more!) at a National Park is an inexpensive family-friendly vacation. Many parks charge between $5 and $35 per vehicle to explore these national treasures.
What’s better than cheap? How about free! Each year, the park system hosts Free National Park Days where they waive the entrance fees on select days throughout the year. These free National Park Days typically fall around MLK Day, Junior Ranger Day, and more.
It is important to mention that the free National Park Days just grant free admission to the parks. You will still need to pay additional fees for camping, boating, tours, etc.
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Tips for Making a trip the National Parks even MORE Affordable
- Car pool! (Entrance fees are per vehicle, not per person)
- Pack a lunch
- Camp
How Many National Parks Are There?
You would think that this was an easy question to answer…however, it’s a bit complicated. A quick Google search will turn up two answers: 63 and 423. That’s a huge difference, so where’s the confusion?
Technically both answers are correct. There are 63 National Parks. The other 360 sites are all maintained by the National Park System however, they fall into different categories such as monuments, historical parks and national historic sites, national battlefields, national waterways, memorials, parkways, preserves, recreation areas, reserves, trails, and even an international historic site.
The National Park System includes a total of 423 national park sites (including national monuments, battlefields, preserves, seashores, etc).
Free National Park Days- 2024
Birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.- January 15, 2024
First Day of National Park Week- April 20, 2024
Juneteenth National Independence Day- June 19, 2024
Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act- August 4, 2024
National Public Lands Day- September 28, 2024
Veterans Day- November 11, 2024
National Parks are PERFECT for Families
National Parks are the perfect destination for families. Let’s put it this way: it would cost our family over $500 just to step foot in a Disney World park (based off of the current Florida resident rate). It would cost us over $100 to purchase movie tickets (and you know those jokers are going to want popcorn and candy). In comparison, you can get your kids off the couch and exploring the great outdoors for between $5 and $35 (per vehicle) depending on the park.
Trust me, exposing your children to these American treasures is totally worth it! Many of the national parks have short hiking trails that are perfect for kids. It’s a great way to introduce them to different landscapes, and to experience wildlife.
Our kids have been to several National Parks (or National Park Sites) and have loved each and every one of them. They enjoy the freedom of being able to run around in the wide open spaces and explore the natural world (or historical site!) around them.
So far they’ve been to Fort Caroline National Memorial, Fort Frederica National Monument, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and Kingsley Plantation (part of the Timucuan Historic Preserve).
We have plans to visit Yellowstone, Grand Tetons National Park, and Glacier National Park in the near future!
The Best National Parks for Families
- Grand Canyon
- Bryce Canyon
- Death Valley (in the winter/spring)
- Arches
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Yellowstone
- Glacier
- Olympic
- Everglades
- Great Sand Dunes
Parks to Avoid on Free Days
Many families have opted for the Great American Road Trip for their family vacation causing National Park visits have soared during the pandemic. Visits are even higher on free days. If you’re planning on taking advantage for the free National park Days, you may want to avoid the most visited parks to avoid overcrowding and long lines.
The most popular National Parks are:
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Yellowstone
- Zion
- Rocky Mountain
- Grand Teton
- Grand Canyon
- Cuyahoga Valley
- Acadia
- Olympic
- Joshua Tree
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