In 2026, a couple of tourists driving into Zion National Park pays $235: $35 for the car and $100 for each adult, because they are not US residents. A year earlier they would have paid $35. The change took effect on January 1, 2026, and it applies at 11 of the most visited national parks in the United States. There is a way around it that almost always pays off: the $250 America the Beautiful annual pass for nonresidents. This guide explains which parks charge the surcharge, what it costs to get into each one, when the pass is worth it, what happened to the free-entrance days, which parks require reservations in 2026 and which ones are close to major cities. Last checked September 28, 2026.
Quick answer
- Surcharge: $100 per person aged 16 or older at 11 parks if you are not a US resident, on top of the regular entrance fee.
- The 11 parks: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.
- The America the Beautiful nonresident pass costs $250 a year and waives the surcharge. It covers one vehicle, or the pass holder plus three adults.
- Free-entrance days are now for residents only. International visitors always pay.
- Reservations: Arches, Glacier and Yosemite do not require entry reservations in 2026. Rocky Mountain does, until mid-October.
The $100 surcharge for international visitors
The Department of the Interior announced the change on November 25, 2025, and the National Park Service (NPS) has applied it since January 1, 2026. Every nonresident visitor aged 16 or older pays $100 on top of the entrance fee at these 11 parks:
| Park | State |
|---|---|
| Acadia | Maine |
| Bryce Canyon | Utah |
| Everglades | Florida |
| Glacier | Montana |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado |
| Sequoia and Kings Canyon | California |
| Yellowstone | Wyoming, Montana and Idaho |
| Yosemite | California |
| Zion | Utah |
Children under 16 pay neither the entrance fee nor the surcharge. If you enter on an organized tour, the surcharge still applies: the operator has to declare how many nonresidents are in the vehicle. Check whether your tour price already includes it.
Eight of the ten most visited national parks of 2025 are on that list, according to the official NPS ranking. Number one, Great Smoky Mountains, on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, has no entrance fee. It only asks for a $5 daily parking tag if you leave your car for more than 15 minutes.
What it costs to enter the most popular parks
These are the official entrance fees at four surcharge parks, and the bill for a nonresident couple traveling by car without a pass:
| Park | Vehicle entrance (7 days) | Surcharge, 2 adults | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | $35 | $200 | $235 |
| Zion | $35 | $200 | $235 |
| Yosemite | $35 | $200 | $235 |
| Everglades | $35 | $200 | $235 |
The vehicle pass is good for seven days. The surcharge, however, is paid per person at each park. If you visit Zion and Bryce Canyon on the same trip, which are a couple of hours apart by car, the couple pays the surcharge twice. For Everglades from Miami, with the park's three entrances, see our Everglades guide.
The America the Beautiful pass: when it pays off
Since January 1, 2026, the annual parks pass has two prices:
- Residents: $80.
- Nonresidents: $250.
The nonresident pass covers an entire vehicle, or two motorcycles, or the pass holder plus three more adults entering on foot. Most importantly, according to the NPS, holders of the nonresident America the Beautiful pass do not pay the individual $100 surcharge. Some blogs say otherwise, but the official page is clear.
The math is simple. A couple without the pass pays $235 at a single surcharge park. With the pass they pay $250 and can enter that park and every other federal park for a year. If your trip includes two parks on the list, or one park with three adults in the car, the pass is cheaper from day one.
You can buy it on Recreation.gov in digital or physical form, at park entrance stations, or in the US Geological Survey online store, which mails it within about three weeks. If you buy it online, keep the receipt on your phone to show at the booth.
How they know whether you are a resident
At the entrance you may be asked for an ID. The NPS accepts as proof of residency:
- a US passport;
- a driver's license or ID issued by a US state or territory;
- a permanent resident card (green card).
With a foreign passport and a tourist visa or ESTA, you pay as a nonresident. The NPS does not spell out what happens with other visas, such as student or work visas, beyond that list of documents.
Another change: free-entrance days are now for residents only. The NPS puts it plainly: since 2026, fee-free days apply only to US residents, and nonresidents pay. The two remaining ones in 2026 were October 27 and November 11.
Which parks require reservations in 2026
On February 18, 2026, the NPS announced that Arches, Glacier and Yosemite would not require entry reservations in 2026, unlike previous years. Instead, they manage traffic on the spot. Others still use some kind of system:
- Rocky Mountain: timed entry permit from May 22 to mid-October 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the park and from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Bear Lake Road, booked on Recreation.gov for a $2 fee.
- Acadia: vehicle reservation to drive up Cadillac Summit Road until October 25, for $6.
- Zion: the Angels Landing trail requires a permit through a seasonal or day-before lottery.
Check each park's page on nps.gov the week before you travel, because these rules change from year to year.
A note for the Grand Canyon: the North Rim reopened on May 15, 2026, after the 2025 fire that destroyed the historic lodge on that side. There is no lodging on the North Rim in 2026. The South Rim operates normally.
National parks near major cities
- From Miami: Everglades. The Shark Valley entrance is less than an hour west along the Tamiami Trail, and you can explore it on foot, by bike or on the guided tram. It has the surcharge.
- From Los Angeles: Joshua Tree. About 225 kilometers (140 miles) east, with a $30 vehicle fee. No surcharge, because it is not one of the 11 parks.
- From Las Vegas: Zion, about 270 kilometers (170 miles) away, and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon West Skywalk is on Hualapai tribal land, outside the national park, so neither the NPS pass nor the surcharge applies there, but it has its own price.
- On Route 66: Petrified Forest, in Arizona, the only park in the system that contains a stretch of the historic road. It charges $25 per car and has no surcharge.
You need a car to reach almost all of them. Which license you need and how renting works is covered in driving in the US with a foreign license. And since many parks are hours from the nearest hospital, make sure your travel insurance covers evacuation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an international tourist pay to enter a US national park?
At the 11 surcharge parks, the regular entrance fee plus $100 per person aged 16 or older. For example, a couple in a car pays $235 at the Grand Canyon. At other parks, just the regular entrance fee.
Does the America the Beautiful pass waive the $100 surcharge?
Yes. According to the NPS, holders of the $250 nonresident annual pass do not pay the individual surcharge.
Which parks charge the surcharge to foreign visitors?
Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.
Do children pay the surcharge?
No. Children under 16 pay neither the entrance fee nor the surcharge.
Can I get in free on fee-free days as a tourist?
No. Since 2026, fee-free days are for US residents only.
What is the most visited national park in the United States?
Great Smoky Mountains, with more than 11.5 million visits in 2025 according to the NPS. It charges neither an entrance fee nor the surcharge, only a parking tag.