List of fee areas in the United States National Park System facts for kids
The National Park Service looks after amazing places across the United States. Some of these places, called 'fee areas,' ask for a small payment to enter. But don't worry, most national park sites are actually free to visit!
This list shows places where you pay an entrance fee. It doesn't usually include places where you only pay for extra things like camping or boat rides. Also, some places with special tours, like caves, might have a fee for the tour, but they aren't always on this list. Many parks on this list also have parts you can visit for free. Plus, every year, there are a few special days when all entrance fees are waived, so you can visit for free!
The fees are usually for each car or each person. A 'per-vehicle' fee lets everyone in one private car enter, usually for seven days. If you walk, bike, or ride a motorcycle, there are often special passes for you too, but they aren't listed here. Kids aged 15 and younger usually don't have to pay.
You can use an America the Beautiful Pass to get into all these places for free. Many people think this pass is a great deal! Most fee areas also offer their own yearly pass if you plan to visit that specific park often.
National Park Fee Areas
Bold names show national parks.
| Name | Location | Typical fee | Fee type | Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River Canyon National Preserve | Alabama | $15 | per-vehicle | [1] | |
| Denali National Park and Preserve | Alaska | $15 | per-person | [2] | |
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area | Arizona | $30 | per-vehicle | [3] | |
| Utah | |||||
| Grand Canyon National Park | Arizona | $35 | per-vehicle | [4] | |
| Montezuma Castle National Monument | Arizona | $10 | per-person | [5] | passes valid at Tuzigoot National Monument |
| Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument | Arizona | $25 | per-vehicle | [6] | |
| Petrified Forest National Park | Arizona | $25 | per-vehicle | [7] | |
| Pipe Spring National Monument | Arizona | $10 | per-person | [8] | |
| Saguaro National Park | Arizona | $25 | per-vehicle | [9] | |
| Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument | Arizona | $25 | per-vehicle | [10] | passes valid at Wupatki National Monument |
| Tonto National Monument | Arizona | $10 | per-person | [11] | |
| Tumacacori National Historical Park | Arizona | $10 | per-person | [12] | |
| Tuzigoot National Monument | Arizona | $10 | per-person | [13] | passes valid at Montezuma Castle National Monument |
| Walnut Canyon National Monument | Arizona | $15 | per-person | [14] | |
| Wupatki National Monument | Arizona | $25 | per-vehicle | [15] | passes valid at Sunset Crater National Monument |
| Fort Smith National Historic Site | Arkansas | $10 | per-person | [16] | |
| Cabrillo National Monument | California | $20 | per-vehicle | [17] | |
| Death Valley National Park | California | $30 | per-vehicle | [18] | |
| Nevada | |||||
| Devils Postpile National Monument | California | $8 | per-person | [19] | fee for daily use of shuttle; other types of passes and limited vehicle access exist |
| Joshua Tree National Park | California | $30 | per-vehicle | [20] | |
| Kings Canyon National Park | California | $35 | per-vehicle | [21] | passes valid at Sequoia National Park |
| Lassen Volcanic National Park | California | $30 | per-vehicle | [22] | |
| Lava Beds National Monument | California | $25 | per-vehicle | [23] | |
| Muir Woods National Monument | California | $15 | per-person | [24] | |
| Pinnacles National Park | California | $30 | per-vehicle | [25] | |
| San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park | California | $15 | per-person | [26] | |
| Sequoia National Park | California | $35 | per-vehicle | [27] | passes valid at Kings Canyon National Park |
| Whiskeytown National Recreation Area | California | $25 | per-vehicle | [28] | |
| Yosemite National Park | California | $35 | per-vehicle | [29] | |
| Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site | Colorado | $10 | per-person | [30] | |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Colorado | $25 | per-vehicle | [31] | |
| Colorado National Monument | Colorado | $25 | per-vehicle | [32] | |
| Dinosaur National Monument | Colorado | $25 | per-vehicle | [33] | |
| Utah | |||||
| Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument | Colorado | $10 | per-person | [34] | |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve | Colorado | $25 | per-vehicle | [35] | |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Colorado | $30 | per-vehicle | [36] | fees are reduced during the winter season |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado | $25 | per-vehicle | [37] | |
| Canaveral National Seashore | Florida | $20 | per-vehicle | [38] | |
| Castillo de San Marcos National Monument | Florida | $15 | per-person | [39] | |
| Dry Tortugas National Park | Florida | $15 | per-person | [40] | |
| Everglades National Park | Florida | $30 | per-vehicle | [41] | |
| Gulf Islands National Seashore | Florida | $25 | per-vehicle | [42] | |
| Mississippi | |||||
| Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area | Georgia | $5 | per-vehicle | [43] | |
| Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park | Georgia | $10 | per-person | [44] | fees only required for visiting Point Park at Lookout Mountain battlefield |
| Tennessee | |||||
| Cumberland Island National Seashore | Georgia | $10 | per-person | [45] | |
| Fort Pulaski National Monument | Georgia | $10 | per-person | [46] | |
| Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park | Georgia | $5 | per-vehicle | [47] | daily fee |
| Haleakala National Park | Hawaii | $30 | per-vehicle | [48] | |
| Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | Hawaii | $30 | per-vehicle | [49] | |
| Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park | Hawaii | $20 | per-vehicle | [50] | |
| Craters of the Moon National Monument | Idaho | $20 | per-vehicle | [51] | |
| Poverty Point National Monument | Louisiana | $4 | per-person | [52] | daily fee; monument and fees administered by Louisiana state parks |
| Acadia National Park | Maine | $30 | per-vehicle | [53] | |
| Antietam National Battlefield | Maryland | $10 | per-person | [54] | 3-day pass; $20 per-vehicle pass available (3-day pass) |
| Assateague Island National Seashore | Maryland | $25 | per-vehicle | [55] | 7-day pass; daily $10 per-vehicle pass available for Virginia district. Passes valid for entrance to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge |
| Virginia | |||||
| C & O Canal National Historical Park | Maryland | $20 | per-vehicle | [56] | passes required only for Great Falls Tavern area; passes valid at Great Falls Park |
| Washington D.C. | |||||
| Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine | Maryland | $15 | per-person | [57] | |
| Adams National Historical Park | Massachusetts | $15 | per-person | [58] | |
| Cape Cod National Seashore | Massachusetts | $25 | per-vehicle | [59] | |
| Isle Royale National Park | Michigan | $7 | per-person | [60] | daily fee |
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | Michigan | $25 | per-vehicle | [61] | |
| Vicksburg National Military Park | Mississippi | $20 | per-vehicle | [62] | |
| Louisiana | |||||
| Gateway Arch National Park | Missouri | $3 | per-person | [63] | daily pass; tickets for tram to top of arch separate |
| Wilson's Creek National Battlefield | Missouri | $20 | per-vehicle | [64] | fees currently waived and some venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Glacier National Park | Montana | $35 | per-vehicle | [65] | reduced fees during the winter season |
| Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument | Montana | $25 | per-vehicle | [66] | |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area | Nevada | $25 | per-vehicle | [67] | |
| Arizona | |||||
| Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park | New Hampshire | $10 | per-person | [68] | fees currently waived and some venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Thomas Edison National Historical Park | New Jersey | $15 | per-person | [69] | |
| Bandelier National Monument | New Mexico | $25 | per-vehicle | [70] | |
| Capulin Volcano National Monument | New Mexico | $20 | per-vehicle | [71] | |
| Carlsbad Caverns National Park | New Mexico | $15 | per-person | [72] | 3-day pass |
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | New Mexico | $25 | per-vehicle | [73] | |
| Valles Caldera National Preserve | New Mexico | $25 | per-vehicle | [74] | fees currently waived |
| White Sands National Park | New Mexico | $25 | per-vehicle | [75] | |
| Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site | New York | $20 | per-person | [76] | 2-day pass; passes required only for the house and presidential library. Top Cottage requires a separate $10 fee per-person. |
| Sagamore Hill National Historic Site | New York | $10 | per-person | [77] | fee applies only for Theodore Roosevelt Home tour |
| Statue of Liberty National Monument | New York | $19.25 | per-person | [78] | children 4–12 years, $9; seniors 62+ years $14; fee includes ferry ticket and pedestal access, crown tickets additional fee and require reservation |
| New Jersey | |||||
| Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site | New York | $12 | per-person | [79] | youth 6-18, $7; seniors 62+, college students, and veterans, $9 |
| Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site | New York | $10 | per-person | [80] | fee for mansion entry only, gardens and grounds free |
| Wright Brothers National Memorial | North Carolina | $10 | per-person | [81] | |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park | North Dakota | $30 | per-vehicle | [82] | |
| First Ladies National Historic Site | Ohio | $7 | per-person | [83] | children under 18, $5; seniors, $6; America the Beautiful Pass holders, $4 |
| James A. Garfield National Historic Site | Ohio | $10 | per-person | [84] | |
| Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial | Ohio | $10 | per-person | [85] | fees for memorial and observation deck only; these are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Crater Lake National Park | Oregon | $30 | per-vehicle | [86] | reduced fees during the winter season |
| Lewis and Clark National Historical Park | Oregon | $10 | per-person | [87] | fee applies only to Fort Clatsop, separate fees apply to state park units |
| Washington | |||||
| San Juan National Historic Site | Puerto Rico | $10 | per-person | [88] | daily fee |
| Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park | South Carolina | $10 | per-person | [89] | fees for Fort Moultrie only; Fort Sumter is free to enter but generally requires a paid ferry fare to reach |
| Badlands National Park | South Dakota | $30 | per-vehicle | [90] | |
| Big Bend National Park | Texas | $30 | per-vehicle | [91] | |
| Fort Davis National Historic Site | Texas | $20 | per-vehicle | [92] | |
| Guadalupe Mountains National Park | Texas | $10 | per-person | [93] | |
| Padre Island National Seashore | Texas | $10 | per-vehicle | [94] | daily pass; 7-day vehicle pass available for $25 |
| Arches National Park | Utah | $30 | per-vehicle | [95] | |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | Utah | $35 | per-vehicle | [96] | |
| Canyonlands National Park | Utah | $30 | per-vehicle | [97] | |
| Capitol Reef National Park | Utah | $20 | per-vehicle | [98] | |
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | Utah | $10 | per-person | [99] | |
| Golden Spike National Historical Park | Utah | $20 | per-vehicle | [100] | |
| Natural Bridges National Monument | Utah | $20 | per-vehicle | [101] | |
| Zion National Park | Utah | $35 | per-vehicle | [102] | |
| Christiansted National Historic Site | Virgin Islands | $7 | per-person | [103] | |
| Great Falls Park | Virginia | $20 | per-vehicle | [104] | passes valid at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park |
| Prince William Forest Park | Virginia | $20 | per-vehicle | [105] | |
| Shenandoah National Park | Virginia | $30 | per-vehicle | [106] | |
| Fort Vancouver National Historic Site | Washington | $10 | per-person | [107] | fee only for entry to reconstructed fort, free access to rest of grounds |
| Oregon | |||||
| Mount Rainier National Park | Washington | $30 | per-vehicle | [108] | |
| Olympic National Park | Washington | $30 | per-vehicle | [109] | |
| Harpers Ferry National Historical Park | West Virginia | $20 | per-vehicle | [110] | |
| Devils Tower National Monument | Wyoming | $25 | per-vehicle | [111] | |
| Grand Teton National Park | Wyoming | $35 | per-vehicle | [112] | no fee stations at the north entrance, which is only accessible through Yellowstone National Park |
| Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming | $35 | per-vehicle | [113] | |
| Idaho | |||||
| Montana |
Changes to Park Fees
In 2017, the Secretary of the Interior, Zinke, suggested raising fees a lot at 17 very popular national parks. The idea was to help pay for repairs needed at all national parks. These changes would have made entrance fees jump from $25 to $75. The National Park Service (NPS) thought this was fair because it only affected parks that already charged a fee.
However, almost everyone disagreed with this plan! Many families felt that such high fees would stop them from being able to visit the parks. People were also worried that these higher fees would especially affect families who don't have a lot of money. Groups working to help more diverse families enjoy nature also spoke out against the proposed fee increases.
Over 110,000 comments were sent to the NPS website, and 98% of them were against the change. A politician named Raul Grijalva said, "This is a great example that speaking up works." Because of all this public feedback, in 2018, Secretary Zinke changed his mind. He announced a new plan to slowly raise prices by smaller amounts at all parks that charge entrance fees.
Cashless Payments
To save money on handling cash, 22 national parks started accepting only cashless payments by 2023. This means you can pay with a card or digital payment, but not paper money.
In September 2023, Senator Cynthia Lummis suggested a new law called the "Protecting Access to Recreation with Cash Act" (PARC). This law would make sure national parks have to accept cash payments again. In April 2024, some visitors even sued the NPS. They argued that cash is legal money for all public payments. They also pointed out that cashless systems can lead to extra fees for the NPS and for visitors.
See also
