Grand Canyon tourists slapped with staggering new fee to visit iconic national park

If you’re an international traveler dreaming of the Grand Canyon, you better pack an extra $100 per person.

That’s the new reality for non-US residents at America’s most popular national parks after an executive order from President Donald Trump that went into effect at the start of 2026.

The hefty surcharge applies to 11 of the busiest national parks across the country, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Everglades and Acadia.

But it’s not a blanket charge. Only nonresidents aged 16 and above must cough up the extra cash on top of standard entrance fees.

At the Grand Canyon, which already charges $35 per vehicle, a family of three international tourists aged 16 or older would now pay $335 to get in.

Park rangers are stationed at entrances to check IDs for proof of residency.

US residents can avoid the extra fee with a state driver’s license, US passport or permanent resident card.

The changes also hit the America the Beautiful annual pass, which normally grants unlimited access to fee-based National Park Service sites.

US citizens still pay $80, but nonresidents now face a separate pass that has more than tripled to $250.

Trump framed the executive order as a win for US residents. The revenue from nonresident fees is intended to be reinvested into the National Park Service and the parks themselves.

Compared internationally, Trump’s fee plan is eye-popping.

Barcelona, for instance, has doubled its tourist tax, which tops out at only $18 per night, with revenue aimed at affordable housing, according to Reuters.

Other tweaks to the park calendar came with the order.

Two previously free days, Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, were removed, while four new-fee-free dates were added, including Flag Day, coincidentally Trump’s own birthday.

Whether it’s the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, international visitors will now pay a premium to experience America’s natural treasures, making domestic travelers the real winners in this national park shake-up.

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