News Release

Fee Free Days

Date: January 6, 2021
Contact: Phil Molnar

Badlands National Park will waive its entrance fee on six days in 2021. The fee-free days are part of the Department of Interior’s commitment to increase access, promote recreational opportunities, improve visitor facilities and conserve natural and historical treasures in national parks for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people.   The six entrance fee-free days for 2021 will be:

• Monday, January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 17 – First Day of National Park Week
• Wednesday, August 4 – Great American Outdoors Act anniversary
• Wednesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
• Saturday, September 25 – National Public Lands Day
• Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day

“We are pleased to announce fee free days for Badlands National Park. We encourage people to visit and take in the grandeur of Badlands and learn about the natural and cultural resources protected here” Superintendent Mike Pflaum said. 
Badlands National Park is waiving the typical entrances fees of $30.00 for private vehicles, $25.00 for motorcycles and $15.00 for bicyclists. The entrance fee waiver does not cover amenity or user fees for camping.    
Last year, 327 million people visited national parks and spent $21 billion which supported 340,500 jobs across the country and had a $41.7 billion impact on the U.S. economy. 
Earlier this year, Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt signed Secretary’s Orders 3386 and 3387, granting veterans, Gold Star Families and fifth graders free access to all national parks, wildlife refuges and other Federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior. Veterans and Gold Star Families will have free access forever, while fifth grade students were granted the reprieve through this academic year as some of last year’s fourth graders may have been unable to make full use of the Every Kid Outdoors Annual Fourth Grade Pass due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Active duty military and four grade students will continue to have free access with discounted passes also available for senior citizens. For other visitors who love visiting our public lands, the annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is a great option, which allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks.
Other federal land management agencies offering their own fee-free days in 2021 include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.