Juneteenth may be a federal holiday, but it was for 2026 from a list of dates with free access to National Parks.
Outdoor enthusiasts heading to the Indiana Dunes or other will have to pay this year after the National Park Service eliminated Juneteenth federal holiday from its calendar of free admission days for sites that charge entrance fees. Martin Luther King Jr. Day also was eliminated.
Instead, a new lineup of fee-free days includes President Donald Trump’s June 14 birthday, which is also Flag Day, and not a federal holiday.
Juneteenth, the annual June 19 commemoration of the end of slavery in Confederate states, has been a federal holiday since 2021.
In addition to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, recent years have seen the first day of National Park Week, Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day, National Public Lands Day and Veterans Day on the admission-free days calendar.
Other days added to the free admission calendar for 2026 are July 4th weekend and the 110th Birthday of the National Park Service.
The move is one of several for NPS under the executive order designed to “allow more Americans to visit national parks” and also cut back on DEI policies.
Also, starting in 2026, the free admission dates apply only to U.S. citizens and residents.
When are national park free admission days in 2026?
The 2026 free entry dates for national parks are:
How much does it cost to visit national parks?
Some of the about 100 national parks are free while others charge an entry fee that’s typically no more than $35 per vehicle.
Where is Indiana Dunes National Park?
Indiana Dunes park is at 1215 N. State Road 49 in Porter, Indiana.
Admission cost to visit the Indiana Dunes
The Indiana Dunes admission fee is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle and $15 per person. The fees for commercial vehicles range from $25 to $100.
For closure alerts and other information, visit nps.gov.
Other national parks in Indiana are free
National Park Service parks in Indiana include the George Rogers Clark park in Vincennes and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, which do not require entrance fees.
Trump image featured on park passes
Some of the National Park Service’s 2026 annual pass designs bear President Donald Trump’s face, but an environmental group is suing to stop it.
Contributing: Kathleen Wong, Kinsey Crowley; USA TODAY
Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why national parks are no longer free on Juneteenth
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
