Are Zion and Bryce Free on October 27 and November 11, 2026? The Last Two Fee-Free Days, and the Fee Nonresidents Still Pay

Yes, if you are a US citizen or resident. Tuesday, October 27 (Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday) and Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day) are the last two National Park Service fee-free days of 2026. Zion, Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks all drop the entrance fee on both dates. Anyone who lives outside the United States still pays the normal fee, plus $100 per person 16 and older at Zion and Bryce.

The resident rule arrived this year. The National Park Service page, updated October 9, says that beginning in 2026, free entrance on fee-free dates goes to US citizens and residents only. The same page lists eight fee-free dates for 2026, one of them the July 3 to 5 weekend, and November 11 closes the list. No ninth date follows it this year, so the next free gate falls in 2027.

Five park gates within a day’s drive of Duck Creek Village

Cedar Breaks sits closest, 25 minutes up Highway 14 and Highway 148. The visitor center closed for the season in mid-October, but the road through the monument stayed open as of the park’s October 17 update. Highway 148 shuts for the winter around mid-November on average, and snow sets the real date, so a November 11 visit depends on the weather that week. Check our Cedar Breaks road and conditions page before you drive up. The monument takes cards, not cash.

Zion’s East Entrance is an hour away by Highway 14, US-89 and Highway 9, and our East Entrance guide covers the gate and the tunnel beyond it. Checkerboard Mesa and the Canyon Overlook trailhead sit within 6 miles of the booth, and neither needs a shuttle. Zion Canyon runs on shuttles through November 28. The first bus leaves the visitor center at 7:00 am, the last one leaves it at 5:00 pm, and the final ride out of the Temple of Sinawava goes at 6:15 pm. Private cars stay off the scenic drive the whole time the shuttle runs. Drive times to all three Zion doors live in How far is Duck Creek Village from Zion.

Bryce’s entrance area sits 46 miles out, about an hour east and north on Highway 14, US-89 and Scenic Byway 12. The park runs cashless, so carry a card even on a free day in case someone in the car pays.

The North Rim takes three hours each way and asks for some planning in late fall. On October 27, Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road stay shut for repairs until sunrise on November 3. The State Route 67 gate closes for the winter at sunset on November 30, or after the first major snowstorm if that comes sooner. The park sells no fuel. Jacob Lake, about 45 miles north of the rim, has the nearest gas, food and beds. Our North Rim drive post walks the route leg by leg.

From outside the US, the free day changes nothing at the gate

If you live abroad, October 27 and November 11 cost the same as any other day. Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon sit on the list of 11 national parks that add a $100 nonresident fee for each person 16 and older, on top of the $35 vehicle fee. Cedar Breaks does not appear on that list and charges its normal $25.

The Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the entrance fee and the nonresident fee for the holder and everyone in a private vehicle, up to 15 passengers. Two adults from abroad who plan Zion and Bryce on the same trip save $220 with it. Even Zion plus a stop at Cedar Breaks puts a couple $10 past the price of the pass. A solo traveler comes out $20 ahead once Bryce joins Zion in the plan, and one adult who sees Zion alone should pay at the booth.

Bring a card. Bryce and Cedar Breaks take no cash, and Zion prefers cards but still accepts cash.

Some US passes already beat the free day

Veterans Day carries a twist for the people it honors. Veterans and Gold Star Family members qualify for the free Military Lifetime Pass, and it opens every park gate on every day of the year.

Any of these passes covers the same gates as a fee-free day and keeps working all year. If someone in your car already holds one, a free date saves that car nothing. The National Park Service page does not say what proof a booth asks for on a free day, so carry a driver’s license or passport.

Quick answers about the 2026 fee-free days

Is Zion free on October 27, 2026?

Yes, for US citizens and residents, since Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday sits on the 2026 list. Anyone who lives abroad pays $35 per vehicle plus $100 per person 16 and older.

Is Bryce Canyon free on Veterans Day 2026?

Yes. On November 11, Bryce waives its $35 entrance fee for US citizens and residents, and the $100 nonresident fee still applies to everyone else.

Are there more fee-free days after November 11, 2026?

No. November 11 holds the last date on the 2026 National Park Service list.

Does Cedar Breaks charge the $100 nonresident fee?

No. Cedar Breaks sits outside the list of 11 parks with the surcharge and charges $25 per vehicle, card only.

Do reservation fees still apply on a free day?

They can. The National Park Service says timed entry and reservation fees may still apply on fee-free days.

Both free days land midweek, a Tuesday and a Wednesday. A night at the inn before either one puts you 25 minutes from Cedar Breaks and an hour from the Zion and Bryce gates the next morning. See our rooms and pick the night before.