WASHINGTON D.C. – The Department of the Interior announced plans to substantially increase national park entrance fees for international visitors, while simultaneously introducing a new annual pass option for U.S. residents starting in 2026. Non-U.S. residents will face a choice between a $250 annual pass or a $100 per-person entry fee for 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to existing standard entrance fees.
U.S. residents will be able to purchase an annual interagency pass for $80, the same price as the current “America the Gorgeous” pass. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the changes are intended to make national parks “easier and more affordable for every American to experience,” and to ensure international visitors “contribute their fair share to help preserve and maintain these treasured places.”
The Department also announced five new “fee-free days” in 2026, bringing the total to ten for U.S. residents. These include July 3, 4, and 5 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, September 17 for Constitution Day, October 27 for the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt, and June 14 – Flag Day, which also marks former President Donald Trump‘s birthday.
The 2026 annual passes will feature portraits of George Washington and Donald Trump,and the military pass will include a photograph of Trump saluting troops.
The announcement comes amid scrutiny of the Trump administration’s record on conservation, with reports indicating the Interior Department has lost nearly a quarter of its national parks staff, proposed billions in cuts to public lands funding, expanded logging in national forests, defunded conservation organizations, and proposed oil and gas drilling off the California coast. Burgum cited Theodore Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation, stating, “there can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.”
