https://www.npr.org/2025/11/26/g-s1-99442/national-parks-fees-international-touristsWASHINGTON — The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.The announcement declaring "America-first entry fee policies" comes as national parks deal with the strain of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent government shutdown and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service "continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!"
A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, "AMERICANS FIRST."The announcement follows a July executive order in which President Donald Trump directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists."There's a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior," Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.The "resident-only patriotic fee-free days" next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that "everyone, no matter their zip code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands."
>>1460490No worries they can just come during a government shut down, and it will be free!
>>1460490God, he's just such a fucking jackass. >AMERICANS FIRSTExcept those in the tourism industry. They can eat shit.
>>1460490>as national parks deal with the strain of a major staff reduction and severe budget cutsI'm just wondering why nature has a budget and staff over here...
>>1460499This man does not know what a park is.
>>1460500Alls I'm sayin' is Ranger Smith did it himself and with out his lunch most of the time.
>>1460503No, you're saying you think a park doesn't need money or personnel.
>>1460504Barely. And gRumpf just gave them a way by doing what every other country on the planet does and that's scamming foreign tourists.Ideally we'll stock the parks with homeless blacks to rob them too.'Merica!!!
>>1460505>Barely.You strike me as someone that litters.
The only park that Cheeto knows is Park Ave.! Will “only” impact 11 parks? Are you effin kidding me? Those parks, as overcrowded with visitors as they may be fund the rest of the park system! Devastate those parks and you devastate the entire system. But maybe that’s the goal of this administration… burn it all to the ground.
>>1460494>t. fat loser who never goes outsideour national parks are overcrowded and a lot of things require advanced reservations and lotteries now.Helping Americans have better access to America's parks is putting Americans first. Just because you're a fat loser who hates nature doesn't mean there aren't plenty of Americans who like to enjoy our parks.>>1460510you are also a fat loser who never goes outside.
>>1460528>ourLOL
>>1460510Considering how overtly evil trump and the republicans are, I wouldn't be shocked if this is a plan to tank park attendance and then claim no one wants to go to them so they should sell all the land to private corporations to stripe mine and deforest them.
>>1460530bot>>1460552schizo teenager
>>1460552This happened in Trump's first termTrump tried to sell off several million acres of national park forest in Alaska to the oil cartelsThe only reason it didn't happen was because of all people Don Jr. stepped in at the last second and begged Trump not to do it because he liked hunting up there
>>1460583Butthurt fascist shill
>>1460552Your mind is literally fucked.
>>1460552No, it's to make the national parks profitable, so that they can be sold to corporations.
Donald is a fat loser who never goes outside
>>1460490This is a good idea, for once. They are idiots who will spend $400 in the cheesy gift shops anyway. Soak them for everything.
>>1460612>>1460614>t. Corporate bootlickers
>>1460552Yeah, that's absolutely the plan.
>>1460552>>1460728yes, this is definitely the actual real plan and is not at all schizo-posting by an anon who should be in an institution
>>1460676He only goes outside to play golf
>>1460492A Democrat government shutdown, you mean…
>>1460814No, any shutdown will do.
>>1460715They won't spend 400 in the gift shop if they don't feel welcome you two brain cell moron.
>>1460490>picHere is a vile subhuman that represents greed & selfishness, sitting on a chair.And a Rabbi
Why does Trump hate tourists?
>>1460490thank Christ the parks where I live are full of foreign tourists. They fucking litter and run after buffaloes grazing to get pictures. I’m fucking sick of it
