Apart from the “Big Beautiful Bill,” President Trump also signed another executive order Thursday that will impact what many consider to be the crown jewel of American tourism — the country’s national parks.
The order, titled “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks,” directs the Secretary of the Interior to “develop a strategy” to increase revenue from the parks by charging non-U.S. residents more for entry and passes, and to use that extra money to improve the infrastructure of the parks.
“From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories,” the order reads. “It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.”
Entry fees vary by site, with many of the most popular parks in the country charging per private vehicle or per person. While some parks are free, fees can get up to as much as $20 per person at Everglades National Park in Florida, Glacier National Park in Montana, or Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. There’s often a per vehicle fee instead, which can get up to $35 at those same parks.
The order is expected to keep those prices the same for Americans, but require international visitors to pay more when entering the parks. While the order is a directive to charge higher prices, it doesn’t change the pricing just yet.
Over 331 million visitors entered the parks in 2024, a record for the park system. The number of visitors has increased each year since the pandemic low in 2020 (237 million). While the “big three,” or most well-known national parks, are Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, the top three by size are Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada) at 5,270 square miles; Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska) at 5,037 square miles; and Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho) at 3,468 square miles.
