The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees on Oct. 27 to celebrate Teddy Roosevelt's birthday — the president who built the entire system. Find your perfect park.
Every national park with a gate fee is dropping it to zero on October 27. The reason? It's Teddy Roosevelt's birthday — and without him, most of these places wouldn't exist.
Roosevelt doubled the size of the national park system, signed five new parks into law, and used the Antiquities Act to protect landmarks that are now among America's most visited places. One day a year, every American gets in free. Today is that day.
- 5 — National Parks Roosevelt Created
- 20 — National Monuments via Antiquities Act
- 150 — National Forests Established
Teddy Roosevelt didn't just appreciate the outdoors — he reshaped the American landscape through political action. When he took office, the national park system was modest. By the time he left, he had doubled it, signed five new parks into law, created roughly 20 national monuments through the Antiquities Act, and set aside 150 national forests. The scale of what he did in eight years is difficult to overstate.
The parks Roosevelt created — Crater Lake, Wind Cave, Sullys Hill, Mesa Verde, and Platt — are now among the most visited destinations in the country. The monuments he proclaimed through the Antiquities Act of 1906, including the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, Montezuma Castle, and Devils Tower, have become defining images of American wilderness.
How Roosevelt Built the National Park System
- 1901 — Roosevelt takes office
- 1902 — Crater Lake National Park — Oregon
- 1903 — Wind Cave National Park — South Dakota
- 1904 — Sullys Hill National Park — North Dakota
- 1906 — Antiquities Act signed — Devils Tower in Wyoming was the first site protected under the act
- 1906 — Mesa Verde National Park — Colorado
- 1906 — Platt National Park — Oklahoma
- 1909 — Roosevelt leaves office — 150 national forests, ~20 monuments, 5 new parks in place
Your Free Park Day Plan
- Find your nearest NPS site — Any national park, monument, or recreation area that normally charges an entrance fee is free on October 27. Visit nps.gov to find the site closest to you.
- Check for timed entry requirements — Some high-traffic parks require advance reservations even on free days. Check the specific park's page before you drive out.
- Bring the right gear — Fee-free days draw larger crowds. Pack water, snacks, and layers — and plan to arrive early for the best experience at popular sites.
- Visit a Roosevelt commemoration site — Several NPS locations are dedicated to Roosevelt himself: his Birthplace in New York City, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, and Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C.
Roosevelt's Monuments: What the Antiquities Act Protected
| Site | State | What It Is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | Grand Canyon | Arizona | One of Earth's great geological features |
| Petrified Forest | Petrified Forest | Arizona | Ancient fossilized wood, over 200 million years old |
| Montezuma Castle | Montezuma Castle | Arizona | Cliff dwellings built by Indigenous peoples |
| Devils Tower | Devils Tower | Wyoming | Sacred butte, first U.S. national monument |
The Antiquities Act Roosevelt signed in 1906 didn't just protect places — it created a legal tool that every president since has used to designate national monuments without an act of Congress. The act allowed Roosevelt and his successors to protect historic landmarks, prehistoric structures, and natural objects of scientific interest. It's one of the most consequential environmental laws in American history.
Roosevelt himself is now part of the system he built. His birthplace in New York City, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the North Dakota Badlands, and Theodore Roosevelt Island in the middle of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. all carry his name within the NPS — a rare distinction inside the system he shaped more than any other individual.
Plan Your Free Visit Today
- All Fee-Charging NPS Sites Are Free — Oct. 27 Only: Every national park, monument, and recreation area that normally charges an entrance fee is waiving it today in honor of Teddy Roosevelt's birthday.
- Check Timed Entry Requirements: High-traffic parks may still require advance reservations on free days. Verify your park's requirements before you go.
- Three Sites Dedicated to Roosevelt Himself: His Birthplace National Historic Site (New York City), Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota), and Theodore Roosevelt Island (Washington, D.C.) all honor the president who built the system.
The Bigger Picture: America's National Parks Face a $24 Billion Repair Backlog
Roosevelt's vision was to protect these landscapes for all Americans, in perpetuity. But the system he built is now under financial strain. America's national parks are facing a deferred maintenance backlog estimated at roughly $24 billion — a figure that includes aging roads, crumbling facilities, and infrastructure that has not kept pace with visitation growth.
Separately, a federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration to restore exhibits that had been removed from National Park sites — raising questions about how the parks present history to visitors. Both stories are linked: the parks Roosevelt built are now at the center of debates about funding, access, and what American public lands are for.
Fee-free days happen a handful of times each year across the National Park System. Roosevelt's birthday is one of the most fitting occasions for the tradition — the man did more to shape what Americans can visit, explore, and protect than anyone before or since. Whether you're hiking a trail he never walked or standing in a canyon he proclaimed a monument more than a century ago, the land you're standing on carries his fingerprints.
The system he left behind belongs to every American equally. Today, for free, you can go find your piece of it.
