Jordan Pond and the "Bubbles" mountains, located within Maine's Acadia National Park.

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

The Trump administration is raising fees for international visitors at national parks, even as more foreign tourists avoid the US in 2025.

The Department of the Interior announced the "America-first pricing" in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Starting on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, non-US residents will need to pay $250 for an annual pass, more than triple the $80 that US residents will keep paying.

Foreign visitors without annual passes will have a $100-per-person fee at 11 of the most popular national parks, in addition to standard entrance fees.

"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," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said.

The price hikes come as experts say international tourism to the US has declined in 2025, due to opposition to President Donald Trump's tariff and immigration policies. The decline also preceded Trump, with Yellowstone National Park reporting that foreign visitation dropped from around 30% in 2018 to 14.8% in 2024.

The White House celebrated the changes in a social media post.

"AMERICANS OFFERED AFFORDABLE PRICES WHILE FOREIGNERS PAY MUCH MORE," the White House posted.

The New River Gorge Bridge, located within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in Fayetteville, WV.

The New River Gorge Bridge, located within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in Fayetteville, WV.

Chris Spiker

The Interior Department also announced so-called "patriotic fee-free days" for US residents in 2026:

  • Feb. 16 – President's Day
  • May 25 – Memorial Day
  • June 14 – Flag Day
  • July 3-5 – Independence Day weekend
  • Aug. 25 – 110th anniversary of the National Park Service
  • Sept. 17 – Constitution Day
  • Oct. 27 – Theodore Roosevelt's birthday
  • Nov. 11 – Veterans Day

National park passes will shift to a fully digital system through Recreation.gov in 2026. The Interior Department also unveiled new "bold, patriotic" artwork for all annual passes, updating both digital and physical versions.

"America the Beautiful" passes, which allow access to all national parks and other federal recreational sites, will cover two motorcycles per pass starting in 2026.