The National Park Service's decision to eliminate free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth while adding President Donald Trump's birthday has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights leaders and lawmakers.
Free Park Admission Removed For MLK Day, Juneteenth
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, U.S. residents will no longer have free access to national parks on MLK Day or Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Americans, reported Fortune.
These two major civil rights holidays, long recognized as important for community service and public education, have been removed from the free-admission calendar.
Trump's Birthday Added As New Free National Park Day
Instead, Trump's birthday, June 14, which also coincides with Flag Day, will become a free-admission day.
Other free days in 2026 will include Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, and the Park Service's anniversary on Aug. 25.
"The raw & rank racism here stinks to high heaven," said Harvard Kennedy School professor and former NAACP president Cornell William Brooks on social media.
Kristen Brengel, spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the removal of MLK Day is particularly concerning because the day is widely used for volunteer projects in parks.
"Not only does it recognize an American hero, it's also a day when people go into parks to clean them up," Brengel said.
Trump Birthday Free Parks Sparks MLK, Juneteenth Backlash
Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) of Nevada added, "The President didn't just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans' struggle for civil rights and freedom.
“Our country deserves better," she added.
Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times, Peter Baker, highlights on X that the Trump administration added free park admission on Trump's birthday while removing it for MLK Day and Juneteenth.
Last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that international tourists would face higher fees for national parks in 2026, paying $250 for annual passes while U.S. residents continue to pay $80.
Non-residents without passes would pay a $100 surcharge at the 11 most-visited parks.
The changes aim to fund park maintenance, while resident-only patriotic fee-free days were added, including Flag Day, which coincides with Trump's birthday.
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