National Park Week moves

National Park Week will run August 22 to 30 in 2026, breaking with its usual April timing. (nps.gov) The Department of the Interior announced the new dates on March 20, and the National Park Service says the week will center on the theme “Celebrate America’s Story.” (nps.gov) The shift ties the event to two milestones: the National Park Service’s 110th birthday on August 25, 2026, and the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. Entrance fees will be waived on August 25 for United States citizens and residents at parks that normally charge them. (nps.gov) That is a real calendar change, not just a marketing slogan. The National Park Service’s annual-events page still describes National Park Week as an April event in general, but its 2026 calendar now lists National Park Week in late August. (nps.gov) The dedicated 2026 National Park Week page also tells visitors to “wrap up summer” and points them to park calendars for in-person and virtual programs between August 22 and 30. It lists more than 400 national parks across the country. (nps.gov) Visitors should not assume a fee-free day means a park is fully open without limits. The Park Service says most sites are free year-round, some charge entrance fees, and some high-traffic parks also require reservations or timed entry booked separately. (nps.gov) That means August 25 could lower the cost of entry without removing other planning hurdles at busy parks. The Park Service says reservations at some sites are released on a rolling basis and recommends booking well in advance. (nps.gov) The National Park Foundation, the congressionally chartered nonprofit partner of the Park Service, is also promoting the 2026 observance as the annual celebration of parks, with options for virtual visits and other ways to take part. (nationalparks.org) For travelers used to circling Earth Day week on the calendar, the 2026 version lands at the end of summer instead: August 22 to 30, with the biggest single free-entry day on August 25. (nps.gov)