The US National Park Service has decided that foreign visitors will now have to pay an extra 100 dollars to enter some of the most famous national parks. Only Americans will get free-entry days from now on.
Officials are calling this an America first entry fee policy. They say the parks are facing staff shortages, tight budgets and damage caused during the recent government shutdown. During that shutdown, no entry fees were collected, which made the money problems worse.
The new fees will apply at 11 big parks like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite. From January 1, the cost of the yearly parks pass for international tourists will rise to 250 dollars. Americans will still pay 80 dollars for the same pass.
US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the decision on X. He said the new fees make sure American taxpayers can still visit at a good price while foreign visitors pay a fair share to help maintain the parks.
A White House post ending with the words Americans First also supported the fee increase. This move follows an executive order from President Donald Trump, who told the parks to raise entry costs for tourists from other countries.
Kati Schmidt from the National Parks Conservation Association said there are many details that are unclear. She said her group will ask the Interior Department for answers.
Foreign tourists are still very important for park tourism. The US Travel Association said that more than fourteen million international visitors came to national parks and monuments in 2018. Yellowstone said that in 2024 about fifteen percent of their visitors were from outside the US. This is much lower than the thirty percent they had in 2018.
The Interior Department says the extra money will be used for repairs, upgrades and other improvements.
The policy also brings in special free-entry days only for US residents next year. One of these days is Veterans Day. This day used to be free for everyone. The department had earlier said the goal was to make sure everyone could enjoy green spaces and public lands no matter where they lived.
