“These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the National Park System (NPS), continue to enjoy affordable access,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement.
The agency claims that the new fee for international visitors will go towards funding a large maintenance backlog across US public lands, but many parks-focused nonprofits fear that these amendments will continue the trend of declining international tourism and hurt small businesses in gateway communities.
“National parks brought in an estimated $29 billion [in visitor spending] in 2024,” said Jackie Ostfeld, director of the Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All campaign. “International tourism is a major driver of the US economy, but it has taken a huge hit due to the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff and immigration policies.”
The National Travel and Tourism Office released a study in 2024 citing that, among international travelers, visiting US parks and monuments was a key leisure activity, with 36% of air travelers enjoying these spaces. “At a time when many visitors already wonder if they are welcome in the US, increasing national park entrance fees sends another message that they should stay home, further damaging nearby economies,” said Ostfeld.
According to Canada’s statistics office, air travel to the US from the country has declined for 10 straight months, amid tensions over President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. In June, the country encouraged its citizens to travel domestically, rather than crossing over into the US, announcing a Canada Strong Pass which offers free entrance to its national parks and reduced rail and camping fees.
In addition to significant entry fee hikes in the US, the DOI announced that all America the Beautiful passes will be available in a fully digital format in 2026, through Recreation.gov. Park advocates worry that they won’t be able to achieve this, due to the lack of infrastructure to check passports and scan digital passes at rural entrance gates. “In a year where national park staff have already been cut by nearly 25%, we worry this will be yet another burden for already overworked employees,” said Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
Similarly, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) worries that these new policies only raise a slew of new questions, with few concrete answers. “Will fee collectors have to check every ID going into parks? Do all entrance stations have WiFi that can handle digital passes?” said Kristen Brengel, Senior VP of Government Affairs for the NPCA. She also expressed concern that digital passes will take away critical funding from smaller parks—currently, 80% of recreation fees stays in the park where it was collected.
Furthermore, the DOI’s statement announced that annual park passes will now admit two motorcycles per pass and will feature “new, modernized graphics,” including a design with the faces of both George Washington and President Trump.
Notably absent from the Park Service’s free days in 2026 were Martin Luther King’s birthday and Juneteenth, though the DOI did tack on a handful of “resident-only patriotic fee-free days,” including Memorial Day, Flag Day (which is alo President Trump’s birthday), and Constitution Day.
