US National Parks introduce $100 surcharge for foreign visitors

The US Department of the Interior has announced a new executive order that will require foreign visitors to pay an additional $100 per person on tickets to the country's 11 most visited National Parks, including Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains, starting 1 January 2026. The annual pass will increase from $80 to $250 for for nonresidents, compared to £80 for residents.

In Yosemite, for example, a car with four passengers currently pays an $35 entrance fee, while as of 2026 the same car with four foreign tourists on board would have to pay $435: the $35 standard ticket plus the $100 surcharge per person.

This provision was justified by President Donald Trump with the desire to increase funds for the protection of national parks, without raising prices for American citizens and ensuring that foreign visitors also contribute fairly, in line with his "America first" policy.

The decision has sparked protests not only among tourists from abroad, but also among national park staff. The new provision has raised many concerns, in particular in Yosemite: there are fears of a sharp decline in foreign tourism, which currently accounts for 25% of the total, already down 9% compared to 2024. According to the National Park Service, the 63 officially designated national parks received nearly 332 million visitors last year.

Another potential problem identified by Yosemite workers stems from the fact that half of the jobs in Mariposa County are linked to tourism, and there are fears of a reduction in salaries or jobs themselves, thus damaging the local economy and small businesses in particular.

The following parks will apply 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.