Secretary’s Order waives national park entrance fees for fifth graders, families

DES MOINES –  While at Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge, located south of Prairie City, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt signed a Secretary’s Order that waives entrance fees to national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior for fifth grade students and their families from now until Aug. 31, 2021. 

According to the Oct. 28 news release, Secretary Bernhardt’s actions ensure that American fifth grade students who may have been unable to make full use of the Every Kid Outdoors Annual Fourth Grade Pass during the 2019-2020 academic year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will have free access to national parks and other federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior during this academic year.

“The Trump Administration has made expanding public access to America's national parks and public lands a top priority, especially during this year’s pandemic,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “Programming was limited at times for last year’s fourth graders through the Every Kid Outdoors program, so we’re allowing this year’s 5th graders free access to our public lands throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. We hope these kids and their families take advantage of the incredible physical and mental benefits of getting outside and visiting a park, refuge or campground near them.”

A majority of Interior-managed lands remained accessible to the public at the onset of the pandemic to serve as places of respite and rejuvenation and allow for social distancing.

Services were limited for visitors, in particular impacting the Every Kid Outdoors Program. Nearly all units and locations are currently accessible with many having restored services for the public to enjoy following proper public health and safety guidelines.

Families and students can download their fifth grade passes online at www.nps.gov/kids.