At least 83,352 Kenyans turned up at the 28 state-managed parks and reserves across the country during the open day on September 28.
In a report released by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), adults accounted for 42,533 while children were 40,819.
The one-day waiver of entry fees was announced by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano to appreciate Kenyans for their wildlife conservation and to mark World Tourism Day.
This gesture is in recognition of Kenyans' continued support for wildlife conservation and marks World Tourism Day in style, said Miano.
During the day, gates were opened from 6 am to 6:30 pm.
Safari Walk topped in the number of visitors with 16,707 followed by Orphanage with 15,693 and Kisumu with 12,063.
Lake Nakuru National Park was also among the most visited with 9,938, Nairobi (7,069), Mt Elgon (4,704), Hell's Gate (2,991), Arbedares (2,297) and Oldonyo (1,750).
Visitors were expected to adhere to park rules provided upon entry, which include obeying KWS staff instructions, avoiding single-use plastics, observing speed limits and designated roads, refraining from disturbing wildlife or making loud noises, and not littering while staying in vehicles except in designated areas.
The free entry was, however, limited to game drives and wildlife viewing.
Activities like guided tours, camping, and other special events still required payment.
To ensure crowd management and smooth traffic flow, the KWS had said it would work closely with the national police so that security would be heightened.
KWS added that for those who had already purchased tickets for entry on September 28, the system will process their visit as usual, but rescheduling of pre-paid tickets will not be allowed.
The KWS stated that tour vehicles carrying foreign tourists will still need to pay the applicable entry fees for the vehicle and the visitors, although Kenyan drivers will be exempted from paying.