SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy is proposing to give Americans an extra day of free access to national parks next year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Maloy introduced the Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites (STARS) Act on Tuesday, which would designate next year's Constitution Day — Sept. 17, 2026 — as an entrance-fee-free day for all parks and sites overseen by the National Park Service.
"How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom?" Maloy asked in a press release announcing the bill. "Maybe the best way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called 'the best idea we ever had' — our national parks."
Maloy said the bill is meant to make the parks more accessible and "encourage Americans to connect with the nation's history and natural beauty," according to the release.
If passed, the bill would apply to Utah's five national parks as well as the Golden Spike National Historical Park in Brigham City, which also typically charges an entry fee.
It's not uncommon for national parks to offer free entry on certain holidays. Here are the 2025 no-fee days, according to the National Parks Service:
- Jan. 9: National Day of Mourning for President Jimmy Carter
- Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- April 19: First day of National Park Week
- June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
- Sept. 27: National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
