The National Park Service is implementing a digital annual pass system that charges foreign visitors $170 more than United States residents for access to the federal recreation system, marking a significant policy shift toward what officials characterize as “America-first pricing” at the nation’s most iconic natural landmarks.
According to an announcement the Department of the Interior published Tuesday, an America the Beautiful annual pass will remain priced at $80 for US residents whilst costing $250 for nonresidents beginning in 2026, creating a substantial price differential based on citizenship and residency status.
The introduction of a digital pass available through the federal reservation platform Recreation.gov includes “America-first pricing” structures at select high-profile parks. Starting on 1 January, nonresidents who do not purchase an annual pass will face a $100 surcharge above standard entrance fees to enter 11 of the most heavily visited locations in the national park system, gates that process millions of international tourists annually.
Parks that will impose the additional $100 nonresident surcharge include Acadia National Park in Maine, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Everglades National Park in Florida, Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks in California, Yellowstone National Park spanning Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yosemite National Park in California, and Zion National Park in Utah, a collection representing the crown jewels of the American national park system.
The Department of Interior characterises the introduction of digital pass technology as “the most significant modernization of national park access in decades,” encompassing not merely pricing changes but also new pass artwork, expanded coverage allowing up to two motorcycles under a single pass rather than requiring separate passes for each vehicle, and “a new resident-focused fee structure that puts American families first” according to official messaging.
The annual pass will be available for $20 to permanent US residents aged 62 and older, maintaining discounted senior pricing that has existed for decades. Fourth-grade students and military service members will receive annual passes at no cost, continuing educational and military appreciation programmes. Eight fee-free entrance days throughout the year will apply exclusively to US residents, beginning with Presidents Day on 16 February, a change that eliminates fee-free access for international tourists who previously benefited from these promotional periods.
“These improvements reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people,” the Interior Department release states, framing the pricing changes as benefiting domestic visitors rather than emphasising revenue generation from foreign tourists.
“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation,” Kati Schmidt, communications director for the National Parks Conservation Association, stated in an email Tuesday, signalling that advocacy organisations are evaluating the policy’s implications for park access, conservation funding, and international relations.
The fee structure changes trace back to a July executive order directing the National Park Service to “increase revenue and improve the recreational experience at national parks,” language that prioritised both financial and experiential objectives whilst leaving specific implementation mechanisms to agency discretion.
The United States joins several other nations that charge differential fees for foreign tourists compared to local residents at protected natural areas, including Thailand, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chile, and Ecuador amongst others. Many other countries including Canada and New Zealand do not charge entrance fees to national parks regardless of visitor origin, maintaining free access policies grounded in different philosophical approaches to public land management.
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, at least 80% of revenue collected from recreation fees remains in the specific park where fees are charged rather than flowing to general Treasury accounts, ensuring surcharge revenue will directly benefit the 11 parks implementing nonresident pricing through infrastructure improvements, trail maintenance, visitor services, and resource protection.
A September paper published by the Congressional Research Service indicates that accurately projecting revenue from adding surcharges for international visitors “has been challenging to estimate, because NPS has not collected systematic data on the numbers of international visitors to park units,” a data gap that complicates financial forecasting and policy evaluation.
A summer visitation study conducted at Yellowstone National Park found that approximately 15% of visitors in 2024 had travelled from outside the United States, a substantial decline from 30% international visitation recorded in 2018. The dramatic drop likely reflects lingering pandemic impacts on international travel patterns, economic conditions affecting discretionary travel, and shifting tourism preferences, though the new pricing structure may further discourage international visitors already facing increased costs.
