US National Parks to Charge Foreign Visitors Up to Triple Fees
Foreign visitors will pay an extra $100 surcharge at 11 top U.S. national parks starting 2026, while U.S. residents keep an $80 annual pass, Interior Department says.
- On Nov. 25, 2025, the Department of the Interior announced non-U.S. residents without an annual pass will pay a $100 surcharge at 11 parks, with nonresident passes rising to $250 and U.S. resident passes remaining $80, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
- The July 3 executive order directed the Department of the Interior to raise entry fees for international visitors, with the department estimating the surcharge would generate more than $90 million annually.
- The change affects 11 of the most-visited parks, including Acadia National Park and Yosemite National Park, while the DOI introduces digital America the Beautiful passes covering two motorcycles per pass.
- Revenue from the surcharges will be invested back into parks for upgrades and maintenance, with at least 80% staying in the charging park under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act; resident-only patriotic fee-free days will begin next year, including Veterans Day.
- The National Park Service has lost 4,000 staff members since January amid budget pressures and funding uncertainty through January 30, 2026.
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National parks announce ‘America-first’ fee surges for international tourists
By Yahya Salem, CNN (CNN) — International tourists visiting popular national parks in the US next year will be required to pay additional fees and raised rates on annual passes, the US Department of the Interior announced Tuesday. In a statement hailing a new “resident-focused fee structure that puts American families first,” the department said as of January 1, 2026, the annual pass will cost non-US residents $250 to obtain, more than triple th…
Visiting US national parks such as the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone will be much more expensive for foreign tourists from January onwards.
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