who did the price of national park entrance go up

The price increase was aimed at foreign visitors , not U.S. residents. The Interior Department said that starting Jan. 1, 2026, nonresidents would pay a higher annual pass price and an added per-visit fee at 11 major national parks, following a Trump executive order from July 2025.

Who was affected

• Non-U.S. residents faced the higher pricing.
• U.S. residents kept the lower resident pricing.
• The parks named in coverage included Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Acadia, and others.

What changed

• Annual pass for nonresidents: $250, up from $80.

• Extra per-person fee for nonresidents without the annual pass: $100, on top of the standard entrance fee.

Why it happened

The administration said the goal was to raise revenue for park care and maintenance while keeping access more affordable for U.S. residents. Critics argued the policy was confusing and could hurt tourism and gateway businesses.

TL;DR: the national park entrance price went up for international visitors. U.S. visitors were not the target of the increase.