Overview
- Since Jan. 1, popular parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon have added a $100 charge per non‑resident visitor on top of standard entrance fees.
- Non‑residents now pay $250 for an America the Beautiful annual pass, while the price for U.S. residents remains $80.
- An internal National Park Service directive instructs staff to ask visiting groups how many people are not U.S. citizens or residents, with IDs not checked in every case.
- Park employees report longer lines, confusion over residency rules and some foreign visitors deciding not to enter, compounding strains on an understaffed agency.
- Canadian travel advisers report a sharp drop in U.S. bookings that they partly attribute to the new pricing and border concerns.