New tourist tax to introduce £76 entry fee at 11 National Parks
ICONIC spots like Yellowstone and The Grand Canyon are about to get much more expensive for Brits.
National Parks in the US are making entry fees more expensive for tourists in an effort to “put American families first”.
The US government has announced that beginning January 1, 2026, non-residents will have to pay an additional fee to enter its National Parks.
Non-residents will have to choose between buying a $250 (£189.23) annual pass or paying $100 (£75.69) per person “to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee”.
The current entry cost for Yellowstone is $20 (£15.14) for anyone on foot – so in this case, the new fee would cost $120 (£90.82) under the new bill.
Passes can be bought online and downloaded onto mobile phone – or linked to physical cards for convenience.
President Trump signed an order back in July to raise entrance fees at national parks for overseas tourists.
The additional fees will go into funding for conservation and maintenance at each site.
The Annual Pass cost for residents of the US will be $80 (£60.55) and throughout the year there will be ‘resident-only patriotic fee-free days’.
These include Memorial Day (May 25, 2026), Independence Day weekend (July 3-5, 2026), and Veteran’s Day (November 11, 2026).
In 2024, National Parks around America saw a record number of tourists with more than 330 million visiting its sites.
The country’s most visited parks are the Everglades in Florida, Yosemite in California and Colorado‘s Rocky Mountains.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said: “President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first.
“These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
Along with the price hike for National Parks, visitors heading to America now face a ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ under new rules.
The new fee falls under President Donald Trump‘s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ and has seen Brits paying substantially more to visit America.
The fee applies to anyone who needs a ‘non-immigrant visa’ – which includes people travelling for business, study and temporary work for more than three months.
It will cost around $250 (£189.22) and was introduced on October 1, 2025
The cost is on top of all existing visa application fees.
Individuals will pay the fee once a visa is issued and if an application is denied, then you aren’t charged the fee.
For more on America, hear from one Travel Reporter who ditched New York City for upstate and found hundreds of vineyards, NASCAR racing experiences & world famous waterfalls.
And another writer who visits New York on a budget – from the best times to book cheap flights and where to find the tastiest pizza.
