(Washington, D.C.) The U.S. government announced that starting January 1st, foreign visitors to U.S. national parks will be required to pay up to $250 (approximately S$324) for an annual pass, more than double the current price.
The U.S. Department of the Interior issued a statement on Tuesday (November 25th) saying that foreign visitors without an annual pass will need to pay an additional $100 to enter the 11 most visited U.S. national parks; the annual pass price for U.S. citizens and permanent residents will remain at $80.
The Department of the Interior also plans to establish "Patriotic Free Days" for residents, including Presidents' Day, Veterans Day, and President Trump's birthday.
Interior Secretary Bergham said this "America First" pricing policy will ensure that American taxpayers can continue to enjoy reasonably priced visits, while international visitors can contribute to the maintenance and improvement of U.S. national parks.
This move by the Department of the Interior is in response to an executive order signed by Trump on July 3rd. Trump then instructed the Department of the Interior to study raising ticket prices for foreign visitors to U.S. national parks, arguing that the additional revenue from foreign visitors could be used for national park maintenance projects.
Further Reading
In recent years, the number of visitors to U.S. national parks has repeatedly broken records, reaching 331 million last year, an increase of 6 million from 2023.
According to USA Today, the 11 national parks that have raised their fees include Yellowstone National Park (located at the border of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), Acadia National Park (Maine), Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah), Everglades National Park (Florida), Glacier National Park (Montana), Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona), Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming), Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado), Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (California), Yosemite National Park (California), and Zion National Park (Utah).
