(NEXSTAR) — Under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week, millions of visitors could have to pay an increased fee when visiting national parks, a move the Department of the Interior’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 says could bring in an additional $90 million for the National Park Service.
Trump’s order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to develop a “strategy” to boost revenue and improve recreational experiences at national parks. As part of that, entrance fees and the cost for a recreation pass are intended to rise for “nonresidents.”
While exact details haven’t been released, like how much the additional fees will be and when they’ll be imposed, the executive order does offer a glimpse into where the surcharges will appear.
The price hikes, according to Trump’s order, will apply only to those parks that charge entrance or recreation pass fees. Currently, only 106 of the 475 sites that are managed by the National Park Service charge an entrance fee.
The most expensive among them — like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion — charge $35 per private vehicle. Few charge on a per-person basis (for those entering on foot or by bicycle), but the highest fee there is $20, found at the same three parks. If you’d prefer an annual membership, which is not available at all of the fee-charging parks, the most you’ll pay is $70.
You’ll also find entrance fees at some of the most visited parks, like the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead, as well as some of the more remote, like Denali and Isle Royale. Other parks that already charge entrance fees include Mount Rainier, Grand Teton, Death Valley, the Everglades, Joshua Tree, Shenandoah, and Hawai’i Volcanoes.
Some parks also require reservations to get in or visit certain features within the parks.
Entrance fees are used to “enhance visitor experience” under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
If you’re a frequent visitor to many national parks or federal recreational lands, you may want the America The Beautiful annual pass worth $80.
That price, too, is set to rise for foreign visitors under Trump’s order, as well as the costs for “any site-specific agency or regional multi-entity passes.” Like the entrance surcharge, it’s unclear how large that price increase will be.
While the foreign visitor fees could bring in more revenue for the parks, the Trump administration has also proposed cutting the National Park Service’s staffing budgets and service operations by 30 percent, The Hill reports.
Meanwhile, the Interior Department’s budget proposal is requesting $2 billion for the national parks, down more than $1 billion from the current budget. It would be the largest cut in NPS history, according to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
Nonetheless, Trump’s order calls for efforts to increase visitor capacity at America’s national parks, invest in infrastructure at the sites, and improve park access to American families by ensuring they “receive priority access in any permitting or reservation systems.”
It’s estimated that of the record-setting 331.8 million visits recorded at national parks last year, 14.6 million were international tourists.
