Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., says he is "beyond disappointed" by the Trump administration's decision to remove the holiday honoring his father from the list of free days at U.S. National Parks.

On Saturday, CBS News reported that the National Park Service was eliminating free admission for U.S. residents on Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth.

The new list of free days, which will go into effect next year, includes June 14, which is both Flag Day and President Trump's birthday.

The other days of free park admission in 2026 are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt's birthday (Oct. 27), and the anniversary of the creation of the Park Service (Aug. 25).

The fee-free days only apply to U.S. citizens. International tourists will still have to pay the entrance fee and any nonresident fees. Earlier this year, the Parks Service announced that visitors to some of the country's most popular sites, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, will pay an extra $100.

King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, released a statement saying they were troubled by the changes.

"Martin Luther King Jr. Day has long been a national moment of reflection and service, established by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support to honor a legacy that still moves our country toward justice and unity," the statement reads in part. "Our national parks have always offered Americans a sacred place to commemorate that legacy as a community. The decision to remove free entry on this day, as well as on Juneteenth, is beyond disappointing and contradicts the very inclusion these holidays represent."

Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while previous presidential administrations have tweaked the free days, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is particularly concerning. For one, the day has become a popular day of service for community groups, which use the free day for volunteer projects at parks.

"Not only does it recognize an American hero, it's also a day when people go into parks to clean them up," Brengel said. "Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn't be."

The National Park Service has not shared any reason behind the changes to the fee-free dates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.