In brief
In a move that has raised eyebrows, the US National Park Service has decided to eliminate free entry days for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, citing a new directive from President Trump aimed at revamping the park fees structure. Starting in 2026, American citizens will enjoy free access to parks on several designated holidays, while foreign visitors will face increased charges. Alongside the controversial removal of these significant civil rights-oriented days, Flag Day is added as a fee-free date, stirring discussions on the perceived motives behind such policy shifts.
The US National Park Service (NPS) is removing Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth from its list of fee-free entrance days.
The move is part of President Donald Trump's 'modernisation' of the park service, which, beginning in 2026, also includes changing the parks' cost structure to favour American citizens over foreign visitors, following a July executive order from Trump.
In addition to removing the two holidays that celebrate civil rights leader MLK Jr and the end of slavery in the US, the agency is adding Flag Day, which is also Trump's birthday, as a 'patriotic' fee-free day.
People who are not US citizens will still have to pay fees on the fee-free dates, the NPS said.
For the 2026 calendar year, US residents will be granted free access to national parks on President's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day/President Trump's birthday, Independence Day weekend, 110th Birthday of the National Park Service, Constitution Day, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, and Veteran's Day.
Previously, Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth were both deemed fee-free entry days by the Biden administration.
Under the Trump administration's new rules, US residents will continue to pay $80 (£60) for an annual park service pass.
The Department of the Interior, which oversees the park service, announced last month that the annual pass will cost non-residents $250, and those without the pass will pay $100 per person, in addition to the standard entrance fee, at 11 of the most visited parks.
President Trump's leadership always puts American families first, said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations, Burgum's statement continued.
In May, the department estimated in its budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year that surcharges for foreign visitors would rake in more than $90 million per year.
This isn't the first time the Trump administration has targeted Juneteenth and MLK Jr Day.
On his first day in office this year, Trump issued an executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes from federal agencies, which led multiple agencies to bar celebrations of holidays seen as DEI-related, including MLK Jr Day and Juneteenth. However, the two dates remain national holidays.
In June, the Trump administration held a military parade in Washington DC to celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary, which also happened to fall on both Flag Day and Trump's birthday.
The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
