The United States’ most popular national parks will charge international visitors a $100 USD per-person fee, on top of standard $15–$30 entry fees, beginning January 1, 2026.
Parks affected include Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion.
The fee will be waived for anyone who buys the $250 “America the Beautiful” annual pass, which grants unlimited access to more than 2,000 federal lands (national parks, BLM areas, and national forests). The change is part of a package of updates announced by the Department of the Interior (DOI) on November 25.
“These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the National Park System (NPS), continue to enjoy affordable access,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The DOI says revenue from the new international-visitor fee will help address a large maintenance backlog across public lands. But parks-focused nonprofits warn the change could worsen declining international tourism and hurt small businesses in gateway communities.
“National parks brought in an estimated $29 billion [in visitor spending] in 2024,” said Jackie Ostfeld, director of the Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All campaign. She added that international tourism has been hit by past administration policies and that higher park fees risk further reducing visits. A 2024 National Travel and Tourism Office study found visiting U.S. parks and monuments was a key activity for international air travelers, with 36% including these sites in their trips.
Canada’s statistics office reports air travel to the U.S. from Canada declined for 10 straight months amid trade tensions; Canada has promoted domestic tourism with a “Canada Strong Pass” offering free national-park entry and reduced rail and camping fees.
The DOI also announced that America the Beautiful passes will be available fully digitally via Recreation.gov in 2026. Park advocates worry about practical issues—many rural entrance stations lack infrastructure to check passports or scan digital passes, and national park staff have already been cut by nearly 25%. “We worry this will be yet another burden for already overworked employees,” said Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) also flagged unanswered questions: Will fee collectors need to check IDs at every entrance? Do all stations have reliable WiFi? NPCA’s Kristen Brengel noted that digital passes could divert critical funding from smaller parks, since currently about 80% of recreation fees stay in the park where they were collected.
Other DOI changes: annual passes will now admit two motorcycles per pass and will feature new graphics, including a design showing both George Washington and President Trump. The DOI’s announced list of fee-free days for 2026 did not include Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday or Juneteenth; instead it added several “resident-only patriotic fee-free days,” including Memorial Day, Flag Day (also noted as President Trump’s birthday), and Constitution Day.
