Grand Canyon Waiving Fees in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Jan. 16, 2017

To commemorate both the birthday of the late great civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park is offering visitors free admission on Monday, January 16, 2017 the official national holiday in honor of King. This is one of 16 free-admission days established by the NPS for 2016.

The free days are a substantial monetary advantage for Grand Canyon visitors, who normally have to pay $30 per vehicle or $15 per person traveling by foot, bicycle, shuttle bus, park rail, or private raft. The only individuals who normally have free access to the park all year round are active-duty members of the U.S. military.

During Martin Luther King, Jr. Day visitors should expect big crowds, long lines at entrance stations and shuttle bus stop areas, and full parking lots. Visitors traveling to the South Rim are encouraged to check weather and road conditions before traveling to the park by calling 928-638-7496. Park staff also suggest visitors use shoe traction devices while visiting the Grand Canyon’s rim trail and trekking poles if hiking into the canyon as trails may be snow-packed and icy.

Grand Canyon National Park is among the 127 parks in the NPS system that charge admission fees. More than 250 other parks in the system are always free to enter. The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular parks operated by the NPS, with the Grand Skywalk attraction drawing more than 1 million visitors in 2015.