US will charge non-residents $100 to visit its most popular national parks

The spike in fees for non-US residents comes as the National Park Service budget faces potential cuts next year.

The United States is implementing a new “America-first” entry fee policy that will charge non-US residents without an annual pass $100 per person at its 11 most-visited national parks.

The change was announced on Tuesday by the Department of the Interior, which oversees the national park system, as part of its 2026 fee scheme. The price of an annual parks pass for non-US residents will also rise from $80 to $250, it said.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Cuba condemns ‘aggressive’ US stance towards Venezuela as tensions rise
• list 2 of 4New Zealand mother jailed for life over ‘suitcase murders’ of her children
• list 3 of 4Italy adds ‘femicide’ to the criminal code to curb violence against women
• list 4 of 4Trump says China’s Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate purchases of US goods

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement that with the fee hikes, US President Donald Trump aims to “put American families first”.

“These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Burgum said.

Parks affected by the fee hike include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, Zion National Park in Utah, and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

The Great Smoky Mountains, the most visited US national park in 2024, previously offered free entry to all visitors, although it charged $5 per day, $15 per week, or $40 per year for parking.

Zion previously charged between $20 and $35 for a standard entry pass, while the Grand Canyon charged $35 per private car or $20 per person.

Yet, even as the Trump administration has sought to justify the increased fees for non-US residents as a way to shore up the finances of America’s national parks, it has also cut resources previously allocated for them.

Earlier this year, Trump proposed slashing $1bn in funding from the National Park Service. That figure has since been revised, but the park service budget could face potential budget cuts in 2026.

One budget proposal earlier this year from the House Appropriations Committee recommended cutting $176m from the park service operations budget, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, a non-partisan US advocacy group.

The US government and park system is funded through January 30, 2026, but Congress has yet to fully approve a 2026 fiscal bill.

The park service has lost 4,000 staff members since January due to budget constraints and related issues, the association said this week. Most national parks stayed open with limited services during the recent 43-day government shutdown, although 9,000 employees were furloughed, it also said.