Washington, DC: Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 19, 2026, but this year, visitors to national parks will notice a major shift: the Trump administration has removed MLK Day from the list of “fee-free days.”

In previous years, the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management designated certain federal holidays as fee-free days, allowing visitors to access federal lands, including National Parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, without paying entrance fees.

But in November 2025, the Department of the Interior announced that the 2026 fee-free schedule would emphasise U.S. patriotism rather than traditional federal holidays. As a result, “Days like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth were removed,” meaning visitors will now have to pay full entry fees. A notable addition to the list is Flag Day, which is also Trump’s birthday. The only day from the 2025 list that remains in 2026 is Veterans Day.

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MLK Day remains a federal holiday

Despite the fee-free changes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day remains a federal holiday. “The holiday is observed each year on the third Monday of January, and the commemoration is the only federal holiday that is ‘designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities,’” according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983, MLK Day was first nationally observed in 1986. Adoption across all states took decades, with Texas officially recognising the holiday in 1991 and full nationwide recognition achieved only in 2000.

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“The holiday remains the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, encouraging all Americans to volunteer and contribute to their communities,” the Smithsonian notes.

Why the changes matter

The adjustments reflect a shift in federal priorities under the Trump administration, highlighting patriotism over historically significant commemorative days. Visitors planning to honour Martin Luther King Jr. Day at national parks should expect to pay the usual entry fees, while days like Flag Day gain new prominence in the fee-free calendar.