Large national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon are among the most popular destinations for those visiting the United States. In 2024, they were visited by nearly 332 million people, a record number of visitors surpassing the previous year’s 6.3 million. But starting in 2026, foreigners will have to pay more to visit. The goal of the move, explained the Department of the Interior, which also runs the federal parks agency (National Park Service), is to put “American families” first (“America first” was one of President Donald Trump’s slogans).
A new digital pass governing access to eleven major nature parks in the United States was launched on Tuesday. This subscription is called “America the Beautiful” and from January 1, 2026 it costs 80 dollars a year (about 70 euros) for people living in the United States and 250 dollars for non-residents (215 euros), therefore almost 150 euros more. A single entry ticket to the park for foreigners will cost 100 dollars (about 86 euros), which must be added to the existing fees.
For example, currently entry to Yosemite, located in California, costs 20 dollars a week if you enter on foot or by bicycle, 30 dollars for a motorbike and 35 dollars for a car: from next year a family of four on holiday from abroad will have to pay 400 dollars more. Among the parks involved in the initiative are Zion, in Utah, Everglades, in Florida, and Rocky Mountain, in Colorado.
US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the goal of the measure is to make national parks more accessible and convenient for the US public, while ensuring that international tourists “contribute equitably” to their protection.
With this in mind, there will be a reduction in subscriptions to $20 for US residents over 62 years of age, which will be free for some categories of people, including military personnel. In 2026 there will also be eight days of free admission reserved for residents, including Independence Day weekend (July 3 to 5), Veterans Day (November 11), and June 14, the anniversary of the adoption of the US flag, which is also Trump’s birthday.
The decision to increase national park entrance fees for foreign tourists was part of the US president’s executive order last July. At the time, Trump’s office said the goal of the measure was to raise more funds for park protection. However, his administration had previously announced significant cuts to spending plans for the National Park Service, sparking protests among Yosemite staff.
Jonathan Farrington, head of the tourism board of Mariposa County, where the park is located, told The Guardian Washington Post that he was worried that rising prices would discourage foreign tourists. Farrington explains that half of the jobs in the region are related to tourism, and a quarter of the number of visitors visiting Yosemite are international visitors: however, this year the number has fallen by 9 percent compared to last year due to factors such as inflation, currency exchange rate fluctuations and increased travel costs.
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