Summary
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced free entry to California state parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, despite President Donald Trump's decision to end free national park entry on the holiday starting in 2026. The California initiative is supported by the California State Parks Foundation and includes more than 200 state parks.
Key Facts
- Governor Gavin Newsom announced free entry to over 200 California state parks on MLK Day.
- President Trump decided to end the tradition of free national park entry on MLK Day starting in 2026.
- Newsom's free entry program in California is funded by the California State Parks Foundation, not by taxpayers.
- MLK Day in 2026 falls on January 19.
- The federal government replaced free entry on MLK Day with new dates related to other historical events and presidents' birthdays.
- Governor Newsom criticized President Trump's policies on national parks, stating they promote exclusion.
- Newsom's announcement coincides with the upcoming 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
