In a press release last month, the Department of the Interior announced some changes to the annual national park pass system, officially known as the America the Beautiful pass. The beneficial changes are few and mostly just bring the pass system into the 21st century, but the majority are distressing at best and potentially harmful at worst. Read on to see what’s changing, including the good, the bad, and the ugly (literally).
These changes go into effect on January 1, so if you are a non-resident planning a visit next year or don’t want to see Trump’s face on your pass, buy before the end of the year (but no one seems sure if it will become the default before then). Passes offer free entrance into national parks, historic sites, and U.S. Forests Service-managed areas, which have increasingly started charging for parking. And yes, they’re still the most cost-effective way to visit parks if you’re planning to enjoy at least three in a 12-month period.
What We Like About the New National Park Pass
There’s really only one mass benefit that, in our opinion, is long overdue. The other only appeals to a very small percentage of park visitors.
Digital Pass Implementation
Welcome to the 21st century, friends. Now you’ll FINALLY be able to load a digital national park pass to your phone. Why is this so great? Because I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve showed up at a national park only to realize I forgot my annual pass. Which meant I had to pay for a day pass even though I’d already paid for the annual pass. No pass in-hand meant no free entry. Now, you’re practically guaranteed to remember it because most of us are never without our phones.
The digital pass is available to purchase now. Buy one here.
Entry for Two Motorcyclists
A year or two ago, park pass rules changed so that only one person’s name was allowed to be on a park pass. That meant that a couple living in the same household would have to buy two passes if they planned to enter a park separately. That included people from the same household entering together but on separate motorcycles. While a pass still only allows one name on it, if you enter via motorcycle, now motorcyclists can enter on one pass.
Unfortunately, if you’re a car-driving household, passes are only valid if the one person who signs it is in the car at the entrance gate (and you will be asked for your ID).
And that’s it for the benefits. Sorry, friends.
What We Hate About the New National Park Pass
Most of the updates to the national park pass this year are dubiously beneficial at best and potentially harmful to parks, local economies and international visitors at worst.
New Card Art
In past years, art for cards has been chosen via submission–folks send in photos and the parks choose an image they think aligns best. But this year, Trump dictated what will be on the card: his face alongside George Washington (which may be illegal say some experts). This both makes no sense and is a bit insulting since a.) Washington had little to nothing to do with the formation of our national parks, b.) Trump famously is doing all he can do cut funding to national parks and open public lands for extraction and private enterprise–plus, he can’t even pronounce Yosemite correctly–and c). the correlation between Washington and Trump is laughable.
But that’s the standard card that all U.S. residents will receive. International visitors will get one with a scene from Glacier National Park on it (the only one that depicts natural scenery) while Military members’ also bear Trump’s image, volunteers get Teddy Roosevelt, and seniors get a photo of a building: the Department of the Interior (exciting, I know). See the art here.
Much Higher Fees for Nonresidents
If you’re permanent U.S. resident, then the national parks pass price will stay the same this year. But if you’re not, there is a national park pass price increase, and it’s a big one. Nonresidents are about to be charged $250 for an annual pass (which is good per vehicle) or $100 per person to enter 11 of the most visited national parks (Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion). It’s unclear if daily entrance fees to other, less popular parks will stay the same.
While other countries sometimes charge visitors more than residents, we’ve never seen a price discrepancy this high. Why is this potentially harmful? America’s national parks are some of our nation’s best loved, most revered, and most visited destinations among foreign travelers. But imagine saving up for an international trip as a young family or college student visiting the U.S. and having to shell out either $250 for an annual pass or $100 per person per visit in order to experience them.
The Department of the Interior says “revenue generated from new fee policies will be invested directly back into America’s national parks, supporting upgrades to visitor facilities, essential maintenance, and improved services nationwide,” but time will tell if that actually happens. And it may not be enough to make up for the estimated $900 million in park budget cuts the administration proposed for 2026 and funds that have already been slashed. Especially considering international visitation to parks is a statistically minuscule percentage of overall visits.
Also, despite Doug Burgum touting that the annual pass makes national parks “more affordable” for Americans, that’s not true; pass prices for residents are staying exactly the same as they have been for several years: $80.
Elimination of Fee-free Days Celebrating Diversity and Black History
Trump eliminated the two fee-free days that recognize federal holidays tied to Black history–MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth–in a continued attempt to erase real history. They were replaced with “patriotic” free dates like Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 2026), Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27, 2026), and ironically, Trump’s birthday/Flag Day (June 14, 2026).
This adds insult to the injury of the administration’s white-washing and sanitizing of history after earlier this year the administration ordered parks to remove signage that referenced slavery and any other “problematic” history.
Find all the fee-free entrance days here.
Bottom Line
Will gouging foreign visitors make up for the deficit this administration has created within the national parks? Only time will tell. But chances seem good that far less of these types of visitors will visit national parks. Even if they do, it’s likely, since a much larger portion of their budget will be spent on entrance fees, that they won’t spend as much at the small business, guides, accommodations and outfitters in and around parks that rely on their business to survive.
Add that to the already notable drop in international visitation to the United States this year (compared to pre-pandemic levels) and not only parks, but nearby communities could suffer if the drop in overall international tourism continues.
Remember, these changes go into effect on January 1, so if you are a non-resident planning a visit next year or don’t want to see Trump’s face on your pass, buy before the end of the year.
