Key Background
In November 2025, the Trump administration announced “America-first entry fee policies” at U.S. national parks where “nonresidents will pay a higher rate to help support the care and maintenance of America’s parks.” Charging foreign tourists more than three times what U.S. residents pay ensures “American taxpayers who already support the National Park System receive the greatest benefit.” In addition to the standard entry fee, nonresidents without an annual pass pay a $100 per-person surcharge to enter 11 of the most visited national parks: Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park; California’s Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon parks; Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park; Florida’s Everglades National Park; Maine’s Acadia National Park; Montana’s Glacier National Park; Utah’s Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks; and Wyoming’s Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. Within days of the new fees going into effect, some of these parks saw longer lines and groups of foreign tourists turning away at park gates, The Washington Post reported. Neither the Department of the Interior nor the National Park Service responded to Forbes’ queries.
Fewer International Tourists Since 2024
The surcharges for international visitors were introduced against a backdrop of declining inbound international tourism during Trump’s second administration. While tourism grew around the globe in 2025, the U.S. saw a 6% drop in foreign visitors and was the only country to see international visitor spending decline, according to a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that analyzed 184 destinations. The report blamed the drop on Trump administration policies that make it more difficult or expensive for foreign travelers to enter the country. In Montana, home of Glacier National Park, visits by Canadian tourists dropped 41% and visitation from other foreign countries fell 33%, according to data from the University of Montana’s Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research. And Utah, home of the “Mighty 5” national parks—Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands—saw a half-million fewer visitors in 2025, driven by a dearth of international visitors, who spend roughly 40% more than domestic visitors, according to tourism officials.
Tangent
The Canada Strong Pass, the Canadian equivalent to the America the Beautiful pass, offers free access to the country’s 48 national parks through Sept. 7. The program also provides a 25% discount on camping fees, discounts for young adults at national museums and reduced fares on the cross-country VIA Rail.
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Further Reading
National Park Service’s Public Data On Visitor Deaths Is Sketchy (Forbes)
Trump’s Crackdown On ‘Negative’ History At National Monuments Faces Sabotage By Counter-Protest (Forbes)
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