National Park Service to hike entrance fees for foreign visitors to certain popular sites

The U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday that the National Park Service will start charging The millions of international tourists who visit U.S. national parks each year receive $100 per person to access some of the most popular sites, while excluding them from free days that will be reserved for U.S. residents.

The change in fees for international visitors will impact 11 national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the Interior Department.

Under the changes, which are expected to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see the price of their annual park pass rise to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department’s statement.

Only about 100 of the more than 400 parks in the national park system charge an entrance fee.

The announcement declaring an “America-focused entrance fee policy” comes as national parks face pressure from significant staff reductions and severe budget cuts, as well as recovering from damage caused during the recent government shutdown and significant loss of revenue due to fees not being collected during this period. The park service on leave well over half of its staff during the shutdown.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on social platform

A White House social media post outlining the fee increase ended with the phrase “AMERICANS FIRST.”

The announcement follows a July executive order in which President Donald Trump ordered parks to increase entrance fees for foreign tourists.

At the time, Mr. Trump also ordered the Interior Department to give U.S. residents “preferential treatment” over foreign visitors with respect to “recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules” that parks may have in place.

In its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget released in May, the Interior Department estimated that such a surcharge on international visitors would generate more than $90 million annually.

“There is a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions about its implementation – all of which NPCA will raise with the Interior Department,” Kati Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.

The US Travel Association estimates that in 2018, national parks and monuments welcomed more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone said that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors will come from outside the country, up from 30% in 2018.

Money generated from the new fees will help support national parks, including improving visitor facilities and maintaining them, according to the release.

Next year’s “resident-only free patriotic days” include Veterans Day, which was one of eight free park days open to everyone in 2025. The Interior Department had announced the days saying it wanted to ensure that “everyone, regardless of zip code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”