Parks Canada Parks Canada: FREE Admission to All National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation Areas in 2017 FREE Admission to National Parks in 2017 + More!
get this dealBring some mosquito repellent and spend some time with your friends and family in the great outdoors, because Parks Canada is offering FREE admission to all national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary! Plus, boating enthusiasts can get free lockage at all of Canada's historic canals and waterways!
To take advantage of this offer, you'll need to order a 2017 Discovery Pass, Seasonal Lockage Permit or Seasonal Overnight Mooring Permit. All passes are free and only the 2017 Discovery Pass is currently available, with the other passes coming soon.
- 2017 Discovery Pass -- FREE admission to over 200 eligible Parks Canada locations (click here to view a complete list)
- Seasonal Lockage Permit -- FREE passage through seven canals and waterways (coming soon)
- Seasonal Overnight Mooring Permit -- FREE overnight mooring at seven national historic canals, two national parks and one national marine conservation area (coming soon)
While admission is free to all Parks Canada locations, regular fees still apply for other activities, including:
- Backcountry overnight use
- Camping, backcountry and other accommodations
- Canadian Rockies Hot Springs
- Firewood
- Guided tours and hikes and programs not regularly included with admission
- Mooring
- Parking fees
- Reservation fees
Be sure to check with the Parks Canada location you'll be visiting before you embark on your trip for complete details.
The passes are available now and will be available to order throughout 2017. All passes are valid from January 1 to December 31 2017.
Showing 40 Most Recent Comments
View allyeah, i just noticed it as well. Why the delay? hmm...
"Parks Canada would still like everyone to get a pass. When people stop at a park gate or a visitor center it is an opportunity for the parks staff to interact with them. This is when they can be provided important safety and wildlife information."
Got our passes today.
1) So according to the website, entrance into the national park is free
2) According to other users, if you don't order a pass, they'll give you one at the gates anyways
3) The offer is not time limited.
So basically, national parks will be free for everyone to enter, for the entirety of 2017.
So, why are they printing and mailing out passes? The offer's not time-limited so it's not like it's to cap entry or anything.
The only remotely tangible reason I can think of is that it's only for Canadians (which IMHO is kinda stingey of the Canadian gov't to limit this "celebration" to Canucks only), and that they don't want people to bring their passports/proof of citizenship to the parks. But if that's the case, then for point #2 up top, they would require someone to prove that they are Canadian before letting the car enter the park, no?
At the end of it all, I can't figure out why they are printing and mailing passes that are free and unlimited. Can't they just let cars through without using more money and wasting paper?
Lack of funding for maintenance of existing things in the Parks Canada system has been in the news for years. Now the conservationists worry that wildlife kills may go up with more people in the parks.
I recall that one memorial in a park got repaired only because someone or a group helped to raise money for the repair.