Washington State is lucky enough to have three gorgeous national parks right in our backyard. And in 2024, the National Park Service will offer free admission on 6 different days to all national parks throughout the United States. Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, and North Cascades National Park are all only a few hours drive from Seattle. So pack up your gear, grab your trail buddies, and head on over to one – or all – parks as the weather warms up. Here are the free admission dates for 2024.
- January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- April 20: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- September 28: National Public Lands Day
- November 11: Veterans Day
Additionally, Washington State Parks are offering 12 free pass days in 2024 within their parks as well. However, the free days do not include Sno-Parks. Here are the free admission dates for 2024.
- Monday, Jan. 1 – First Day Hikes and New Year’s Day
- Monday, Jan. 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Saturday, March 9 – Billy Frank Junior’s Birthday
- Tuesday, March 19 – State Parks’ 111th Birthday
- Monday, April 22 – Earth Day
- Saturday, June 8 – National Get Outdoors Day
- Sunday, June 9 – Free Fishing Day
- Wednesday, June 19 – Juneteenth
- Saturday, Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
- Thursday, Oct. 10 – World Mental Health Day
- Monday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
- Friday, Nov. 29 – Autumn Day
John Muir’s quote from his book Our National Parks written in 1901 is still true today. “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” We all want our cares to drop off even if just for a moment. So let nature’s peace flow into you by visiting one of the many breathtaking state and national parks surrounding us here in Seattle.
Read more on Washington State Parks’ website here and the National Park Service’s website here.