The Senate designated Aug. 22-30 as National Park Week, days before the National Park Service begins a nine-day celebration that will include free admission for U.S. residents on the agency's 110th anniversary. The theme is "Celebrate America's Story," coinciding with the nation's 250th anniversary.
The National Park Service will waive entrance fees for U.S. citizens and residents Aug. 25 to mark the agency's 110th anniversary. The National Park Service was established Aug. 25, 1916.
The National Park System includes 433 parks, monuments, historic sites and other areas covering nearly 84 million acres. The system recorded more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025, with 26 parks setting individual visitation records.
National parks also contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. National Park Service data show visitors spent an estimated $29 billion in communities near national parks in 2024. That spending supported about 340,100 jobs and contributed an estimated $56.3 billion in economic output nationwide.
The National Park Service moved National Park Week from its traditional April observance to August this year to better align the celebration with visitation and staffing, the agency's anniversary and the fee-free day. There will be programs and events planned at parks across the country.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article