New US National Park Policies and Fees for 2026

The senior lifetime pass for US Citizens is $80 for 62 and older.

Another wonderful program is called Every Kid Outdoors. Every 4th grade student in the US is eligible for a free one year pass which includes National Parks, and all federal lands and waters. The Every Kid Outdoors website includes specifics, but for a National park with fees the pass covers every child under 16 and one adult.

When we travel internationally or when we read comments on the forum about folks traveling to a foreign country we find that certain passes (for parks or museums or whatever people are looking for) there are often replies about certain passes being for residents only. It is not uncommon to have a local residents fee vs an international travelers fee in any part of the world.

Wow. We went to Canada last year (Banff, Jasper and Waterton) and all the parks were free to everyone all summer. They are doing it next year, too. We have both U.S. and Canada park passes, so it didn't matter to us. But people loved it.

Get ready for an influx of international visitors, Canada.

I hope international visitors can wait until they get to the US and see if the parks are open before purchasing a pass. Imagine spending all that money to get here and buying that pass and then the parks are closed due to a government shut down.

We were at the Grand Canyon during the shutdown in October. The crazy thing is they were handing out maps at the entrance stations but not collecting fees or checking passes.

Thanks so much for posting this. I hadn't seen it.

If an international visitor winds up going to 2 different parks, it will be cheaper to fork out the $250 for the pass than to pay the entrance fee + $100 for the 10 parks on that list. Both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are on the list so for $35+100 for each = $270 they'd come out better with the pass for $250.

At least that is how we are reading the policy that the $100 is on a single admission ticket, not an additional $100 on each entry with the Pass.

Well, I have been re-reading the news release (and discussing it with my Yellowstone peeps) and realize it says it's $100 PER PERSON over the gate admission for a non-resident.

"Nonresidents without an annual pass will pay a $100 per person fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee."

The 10 parks included in the surcharge are:

"The following parks will have a surcharge of $100 for each nonresident of the US entering the park: Acadia National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parks, and Zion National Park".

My word.

Foreign travelers are already nervous about coming to this country, and this is just one more reason for them to go elsewhere. It's going to really impact the areas in or close to national parks that depend on the tourism trade for their economic survival. And, like almost everything else out of Washington these days, the rules are not very clear.

Public policy that reflects our priorities as a nation and how we view ourselves. Plenty of people will applaud the decision.

I frequently visit Yosemite National Park. I always enjoyed talking to people from other countries and asking them what their plans were while visiting the United States. Almost everyone had Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon on their itinerary. It makes me sick to think that they will not be able to enjoy our beautiful country because it will be too expensive.

The senior lifetime pass for US Citizens is $80 for 62 and older.

I was lucky enough to get mine before they raised the price. I paid $10 for it.

When I was at Arches and Canyonland this summer, I met several people who had come here from places like Romania and Germany and were so excited about seeing our beautiful scenery. We can go to their country and enjoy so much of their scenery for free (or very low fees). What does it say about us that we're going to make it so much harder for them to visit these beautiful places.

This will certainly slow down the entrance process at National Parks. Instead of just collecting entrance fees and handing out maps, already overworked park staff will now have to check for residency?

Well, may I as a non-US resident be permitted to add my experiences and thoughts to this topic.

May last year, my wife and I stayed with friends in Petosky, Michigan. They took us to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We enjoyed the location and afterwards lunching at Glen Arbor. It was my pleasure to pay for our entrance fee into the park. Mine hosts had their annual pass.

On Memorial Day they drove us to Munising for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore park. The weather prevented the observation boats from venturing on to the lake. Low cloud, rain and chopped waves. Such is life.

This is the legislation which authorised the appropriate secretaries to determine fees: (but not necessarily to physically have to actually type using a word processor or AI.)

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6492/text

I note that the act was introduce by a republican, passed unanimously, and signed into law by President Biden. Some may wish to take the time to read it through.

Evidently initially referenced as America the Beautiful Act.

Further good news.

STAT 2887 authorises the creation of jobs within the departments.

STAT 2889 reinforces existing affirmative action on hiring of veterans.

In visiting these natural wonders, I speculate you will find yourself sharing with everyday working people from all countries. You will not find yourself surrounded by the legislators who passed this act or are considering current bills that give access to these areas to drill for oil and/or gas. Never seen a photo of Trump or other members of his cabinet vacationing by walking the trails in Big Cypress National Preserve, or any other national park.

Exception may be the self-reporting of RFK jr. and his escapes with bears. (He has also, in the last couple of days introduced me to a word I would have rather not learnt.)

Also, you will not have to worry about being confronted with billionaires and their entourages posing for photo ops. The scenery would be a distraction. Likewise, rather difficult for them to sail their mega yachts down the Grand Canyon.

Writers have presumed that tourists from other countries cannot afford the yearly USD $250. What absolute rubbish. Its chickenfeed to my mates, to me and my family. Most other democracies have wealth more evenly distributed than the USA. Have moved on from the feudalism and serfdom model still favoured by billionaires.

Is a pleasure to contribute to paying down your nation debt. https://www.usdebtclock.org/

The real put-off is the lawlessness of the current government.

Regards Ron

We went to Canada last year (Banff, Jasper and Waterton) and all the parks were free to everyone all summer

This is not the norm. I recall paying a lot for Canadian national parks in about 2009, $20 CAN PER DAY. US parks at the same time were about $25 US PER WEEK. That $20 CAN/day in 2009 is in the same neighborhood as $100 US/week today assuming a 3-4 day visit.. Noting the high price was paid by everyone.

And note to all: Everglades NP isn’t even worth visiting on a free day. $100 is a joke.

Pam, thanks for the list of parks. It was an interesting list, and I am very surprised that they left off Arches and Canyonlands. Those are two very popular national parks and that's where I met a lot of foreigners this summer.

"* I am very surprised that they left off Arches and Canyonlands*"

Mardee, I'm really surprised at that too. I kind of expected ANY park that has had to go to admission reservations would be on the list and Arches is one of those. Yellowstone and Grand Tetons do not have reservation systems but honestly, Yellowstone is big enough that it can absorb a lot of people except in some of the areas popular with first-timers.

With Disneyland charging $104-$225 per person, per day, I don't feel this should be a problem. The parks listed have become almost impossible for families to visit without planning a year in advance. And frankly, I quit going because of the crowds.

And the idea that anyone traveling to the USA for a vacation is going to be put off by these fees is silly. You'd pay more for a basic shore excursion on a cruise, even in Europe. Comparing a day at the Louvre to a day in Yosemite you'd best add in the cost of the overnight. Prices then are not out of line.

I liked the Everglades because they were so different that all the other parks we have visited. Alligators everywhere!

Thank you for your comments, particularly KGC and Tassie Devil. I appreciate the insights you bring as a non-North American. Comparing the cost of a visit to a Disney theme park to that of visiting one of the 11 surcharged National Parks was enlightening. As others have noted nonresident surcharges are nothing new nor are they unique to the US. Given that the National Parks budget has been slashed and that the Parks keep 80% of fee revenue an increase in visitor fees was inevitable. What I am surprised by is the amount of the surcharge: $100 on top of the $20 fee for the 11 most popular. That's a 500% surcharge.

Some states do this. The Met in NYC charges $30. But if you are a resident of New York state, it's pay what you want. (Must pay something). It was the same at the Natural History Museum in New York.

So this is not unprecedented.

Indeed, it is the order of magnitude that is what I would see as problematic - I totally get that you want foreigners, who do not pay taxes, to contribute more. But demanding fivefold feels like „We actually do not want you, unless you are dumb enough to overpay by several orders of magnitude.“

There will also be more entrance fee free days and no price increase for US residents.

Trotter, it sounds like that's changed since the press release. They've now removed two free entrance days—Martin Luther King’s birthday and Juneteenth—and added a free day on June 14 (the president’s birthday/Flag Day). And the free days only apply to U.S. residents.

More info in this link to the New York Times article (unlocked).

Thanks for the update Mardee. I missed that.

Trotter, it was easy to miss. They obviously didn't focus on the fact that they were ditching MLK Day and Juneteenth. I only realized it when I read a blurb this morning about it.

And note to all: Everglades NP isn’t even worth visiting on a free day. $100 is a joke.

I agree, the Everglades is my least favourite NP in the US that I've visited.

The national parks are the only reason I would return to the US but not for those fees.