Fee-Free Days at Sedona Trailheads

By Phalen Vitas — Sedona-based hospitality professional. Spotted something outdated? Tell us.

Ten days in 2026, the Forest Service waives its day-use fees nationwide — meaning you can park at Sedona’s pass-required trailheads with nothing on the dash. Four of those days are still ahead this year. Here is the full list, what the waiver actually includes, and the catch nobody advertises.

All ten 2026 dates

What the waiver covers

Standard amenity day-use fees — which around Sedona means the Red Rock Pass requirement at Forest Service fee trailheads, vistas and picnic sites. Park, hike, leave; no pass, no plate registration, no display.

What stays paid

Two exclusions matter here more than almost anywhere else in the country. Concession-operated sites — Crescent Moon and its siblings — may not participate; that caveat comes from the Forest Service itself, so don’t count on a free gate at the creek. And the state parks never take part: Slide Rock and Red Rock State Park charge their normal entry fees on every date above, because federal waivers don’t reach state land.

The catch: everyone else read this page too

A waived $5 fee is modest bait, but free days reliably produce the fullest trailhead lots of the season — especially the autumn Saturdays. If you’re targeting September 26, treat sunrise as your deadline, not your goal. Arriving at 9 a.m. on a fee-free Saturday often means no parking at any price, which makes the savings academic.

Common questions