A park access overhaul is coming in 2026 as President Trump’s administration adds his June 14 birthday to the national park fee-free calendar while removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. The revisions mark a significant departure from the 2025 schedule, which included long-standing civil rights observances tied to Black Americans’ history and community service traditions.
This year’s free-entry lineup included Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and the kickoff to National Park Week. All four dates, previously used by volunteer groups for service projects, disappear under the new 2026 schedule. In their place, the National Park Service adds historically themed or presidentially linked dates, including Constitution Day, the National Park Service’s 110th anniversary, the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt, and President Trump’s June 14 birthday, which coincides with Flag Day. Veterans Day remains the only date carried over from both years.
Civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers criticized the adjustments. National Parks Conservation Association spokesperson Kristen Brengel said the removal of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is concerning because the date had become a popular day of service. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) wrote, “Let’s be clear here: both MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth were free entry days last year. 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.”
The administration also shifts several observances to broader federal holidays such as Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and the full Independence Day weekend, reshaping park access around national celebrations rather than civil rights commemorations.
