On Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, Haleakalā National Park will waive entrance fees for all park visitors, as part of a national celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Although entrance fees will be waived, visitors wishing to viewing sunrise between 3am and 7am must still make an online sunrise reservation and pay the $1.50 per car reservation fee at recreation.gov. Online sunrise reservations are available until 4pm the day before a planned sunrise visit.
“We are honored to celebrate Dr. King and the tremendous difference he made in the lives of others," said park superintendent Natalie Gates.
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most visible spokesperson of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. He led numerous marches for civil rights, including the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., where he delivered his famous “I have a dream" speech; as well as the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. King was assassinated in April 1968. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. In 1971, numerous states began commemorating his Jan. 15, 1929 birthdate. In 1986, his birthday became a federal holiday.
The National Park Service will waive entrance fees on four other days in 2018: April 21 (first day of National Park week); September 22 (National Public Lands Day); and November 11 (Veterans Day).
A variety of park passes are available year round for purchase online and in parks. There are also passes that provide free admission for active duty military and for people with permanent disabilities. For more information on these passes please visit www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.
NPS
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
