After the Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day and Juneteenth from the 2026 National Parks fee-free days, there has been notable backlash from the public, lawmakers and organizations.

Newsweek has contacted the National Park Service (NPS), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the National Parks Conversation Association and The King Center outside of regular working hours via email for comment.

Why It Matters

In its announcement of plans to modernize park access and prioritize affordability for Americans, the DOI shared the list of the National Parks fee-free days, or as it called them, "resident-only patriotic fee-free days."

In place of MLK Day, a federal holiday paying tribute to the civil rights leader's equality and justice legacy, and Juneteenth, a feder

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