Foreign tourists who want to visit America’s national parks, such as the famous Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, will have to pay significant additional fees starting in 2026, the Trump administration announced on Tuesday, explaining that it wants to give “Americans priority”. Starting January 1, the annual subscription giving access to all these sites will increase from 80 dollars to 250 dollars (about 215 euros), or more than three times as much for non-American residents, the ministry responsible for these parks detailed.
And for non-holders of this subscription, an additional fee of 100 dollars will be applied to admission to the most visited parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, which are listed as UNESCO heritage sites. True tourist gems, the 63 national parks in the United States attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year. By 2024, nearly 332 million tourists will visit it, according to the latest figures from American authorities.
These new tariffs will give “priority to Americans,” as justified by the Trump administration. And in detail: “American residents will continue to benefit from affordable rates, while non-residents will pay higher rates to contribute to the care and maintenance of America’s parks.”
Until now, prices for locals and foreigners were the same. But Donald Trump announced in July that he wanted to improve this situation. “In national parks, Americans will be first,” he said later, signing a decree aimed at raising entrance fees for foreign tourists.
Still in the desire to promote national tourism, his administration announced the creation of a “patriotic day,” during which access to the park would be free for American residents. America’s tourism sector has been suffering for several months from a decline in international tourists, caused by Republican policies. The US Travel Association estimates a 6.3% decline in foreign tourist arrivals in 2025 compared to 2024.
