December 7, 2025
The two prominent holidays celebrating Black America have been axed from free entry days.
The U.S. National Parks have removed two prominent “Black” holidays from its list of free entry days, replacing them with a less nationally-celebrated occasion.
During the Biden Administration, the U.S. National parks had Juneteenth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as times where visitors could enter parks across America free-of-charge. However, under President Trump, this rule no longer applies. The holidays celebrating the end of slavery and the life of the civil rights icon have been axed from these special days.
While these holidays can no longer promote this free entry, CBS News confirmed another day will replace them. June 14, Flag Day and more notably, Donald Trump’s birthday, now lists a day of free entry.
Of the holidays typically included in the list, it includes Patriotic days are already recognized across America. This includes Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and even Constitution Day. It also celebrates some birthdays, such as the establishment of the Park Service itself and the president who founded it, Theodore Roosevelt. However, no other President’s birthday currently stands as a free entry day.
The Parks Service did not explain why it opted to remove two prominent holidays promoting civil rights and justice in America. However, the news shocked many in the Black community. Particularly, MLK Day has become a Day of Service, with many using the free entry opportunity for volunteers to even help clean the parks.
“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” shared Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, to ABC7. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”
The removal of MLK Day and Juneteenth from this list also aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. The administration has already urged agencies, public schools, and departments to put a lesser focus on diverse histories, marking this latest update with the National Parks as an apparent part of this push.
The news also adds to the growing controversy surrounding the National Parks, as it previously announced price increases for visitors not identified as American citizens or permanent residents. Even on these free entry days, foreign visitors will have to pay entrance fees and other nonresident fees that may apply.
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