The Trump administration has dropped Black holidays from the fee-free days at National Parks for 2026 and replaced them with Donald Trump’s birthday.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) recently announced that for 2026, free entry to National Parks will not be granted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth, but on Trump’s birthday, which is also Flag Day.
MLK Day is a federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader’s legacy while Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.
The move comes after the Trump administration paused special event programs and related events, including for Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr earlier this year, as part of a broader ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I) programs.
Other changes at National Parks in 2026 include new “America the Beautiful” resident pass featuring portraits of Trump and George Washington and an updated fee structure that the DOI argues “puts American families first,” according to People magazine.
Annual passes will cost $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents. Nonresidents without an annual pass will also pay a fee of $100 per person to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.
