National park passes will triple in costs for nonresidents.
(Chris Caldwell | Special to The Tribune) Zion National Park visitors pose for photos at the south entrance Saturday, March 1, 2025.
National park passes are getting an overhaul next year, including a new digital system, steeper rates for non-U.S. residents and new artwork that features President Donald Trump.
Under this new “America-first” park policy, annual passes for non-U.S. residents will cost $250 — more than three times the $80 rate for residents, according to a news release from the Interior Department on Tuesday.
Non-U.S. residents without an annual pass will also have to pay an additional $100 on top of the standard entrance fee at 11 of the most popular parks, including Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah.
The parks will also have eight “patriotic fee-free days” next year for residents, including President’s Day and President Trump’s birthday, according to the department.
“These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement Tuesday.
Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order calling for increased park fees for nonresidents. That executive order said that the Interior Department shall use any increased fee revenue to improve infrastructure and enhance enjoyment and access of parks and other federal recreation areas.
That executive order spurred some concerns that hikes in rates for nonresidents may deter international tourists from visiting.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors enter Zion National Park on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Springdale Mayor Barbara Bruno, who represents a gateway town to Zion National Park, said she isn’t too concerned about that, though. “I think that international visitors are already spending thousands of dollars to come to our national parks, and I don’t think that a higher cost of a pass or a single admission is going to deter them from coming,” she said. “I think it’s good for the park.”
The increased costs for nonresidents may not only affect foreign tourists with financial means, though. The policy could also affect immigrants living in the U.S.
Pedro Hernández, California state program manager for GreenLatinos, said in a post on Instagram that the new policy represents “a dramatic setback” in equity at national parks.
“Not only do these proposals set a dangerous precedent by expanding park rangers’ authority to verify citizenship status but they also turn our nation’s public lands into a ‘pay-to-play’ system — benefitting the wealthy and privileged at the expense of our most vulnerable populations,” Hernández said.
In addition to increasing fees, the policy also includes other updates to the America the Beautiful passes, which cover fees at national parks and other federal recreation areas. The pass will now cover two motorcycles per pass, and it will be available in a fully digital format that can be stored on cell phones. Park service staff will receive digital tools and additional training to speed up visitor wait times at entrance gates, according to the department’s news release.
The park service will implement the new pass policies on Jan. 1, 2026. How some of the logistics will work, including checking residency status for all visitors, is still unclear. “There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation,” Kati Schmidt, communications director for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement.