Surprise $100 park fee

International visitors to 11 of the busiest U.S. national parks are being charged a new $100 fee per person on top of the usual entrance price. (nps.gov) The National Park Service says the surcharge applies to non-U.S. residents age 16 and older at Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. It took effect January 1, 2026. (nps.gov; doi.gov) A family arriving without a pass can owe both the standard park fee and the nonresident fee. The Park Service says the $100 charge is assessed to each non-U.S. resident age 16 or older, not to a vehicle or a group. (nps.gov) The fee change came with a new split pricing system for the America the Beautiful annual pass. Since January 1, 2026, the pass has cost $80 for U.S. citizens and residents and $250 for non-U.S. residents. (nps.gov; doi.gov) Interior announced the policy on November 25, 2025, calling it an “America-first” fee structure and saying U.S. taxpayers should get the lowest prices because they already support the park system through taxes. The Park Service says the change followed President Donald Trump’s executive order directing Interior to raise revenue from nonresidents at fee-charging parks. (doi.gov; nps.gov) The Park Service says visitors buying a resident annual pass must show proof of U.S. citizenship or residency, including a U.S. passport, state-issued driver’s license or identification card, or permanent resident card. Digital pass users are checked with photo identification when they use the pass. (nps.gov) Older passes are treated differently. The Park Service says an annual pass bought before January 1, 2026 remains valid for 12 months under the old terms and still covers entrance fees and nonresident fees for the pass holder’s eligible travel party. (nps.gov) The new fee also changes who gets free-entry days. For 2026, Interior said fee-free dates are reserved for U.S. residents, and the Park Service says non-U.S. residents must still pay normal entrance and nonresident fees on those days. (doi.gov; nps.gov) Most National Park Service sites still do not charge an entrance fee at all, and even fee-charging parks can require separate timed-entry reservations. The agency directs visitors to check each park’s rules before arriving. (nps.gov; nps.gov) For travelers showing up at a gate in 2026, the practical change is simple: at those 11 parks, a non-U.S. resident without a qualifying pass now pays the posted entrance fee and an added $100 per adult. (nps.gov)