Starting January 1, 2026, America’s parks are about to get more expensive than they’ve been in a century.

Key takeaways:

International visitors will pay $100 in addition to national park entrance fees; annual passes for non-U.S. residents will increase from $80 to $250.

U.S. residents will lose several fee-free days, including MLK Day and Juneteenth, replaced by new “patriotic” days.

National park opening hours are most likely to be affected as well; it’s best to check the latest opening schedules for more efficient planning.

On November 24, 2025, the Department of the Interior announced a major change in national park access. For the first time in National Park Service history, your citizenship will dictate what you pay at the gate.

The price tag breakdown: What you’ll actually pay for national park entrance fees

For U.S. residents, little changes at the surface level. The annual “ America the Beautiful Pass ” remains $80 for all fee-charging national parks and other federal recreation sites.…