'America-first' pricing: National park fees to increase for foreign visitors in 2026

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK -- Foreign visitors will soon have to pay extra to explore America's most popular national parks.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, nonresidents of the U.S. will have to pay $250 for an annual pass or $100 per person, in addition to the standard entrance fee, to enter certain national parks beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

"As part of the Administration's commitment to enhancing access for American residents, the Department is also implementing America-first entry fee policies. U.S. residents will continue to enjoy affordable pricing, while nonresidents will pay a higher rate to help support the care and maintenance of America's parks," a press release about the price increases read, in part.

"For some people, they just want to come here to see the beautiful view over here. So, it's going to be really hard for them to come here from now," tourist Get said.

Get, originally from Thailand, was taking in the iconic views of the Yosemite Valley on Wednesday.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the goal of raising prices for foreign tourists is to boost revenue for the parks.

"President Trump's leadership always puts American families first," Burgum said. "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."

"What they kind of show in the verbiage on the Park site is that they are trying to reinvest this into the Park Service," Jacob Hawley said.

Hawley sees dozens of foreign travelers a day. The Mariposa Visitors Center is often their last stop before heading into the park.

"They're (from) all over the world. And, you know, we're getting quite a bit of travelers, especially for the month of October," he said.

The parks affected are Acadia National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Zion National Park.

The White House said "AMERICANS OFFERED AFFORDABLE PRICES WHILE FOREIGNERS PAY MUCH MORE," in a post on X about the price bumps.

"Maybe it could be a deterrent - if you increase the fee, then less people would come," Pierre-Loues said.

The push to increase prices for foreign park visitors began in July when President Donald Trump issued an executive order asking Sec. Doug Burgum to "develop a strategy to increase revenue and improve the recreational experience at national parks by appropriately increasing entrance fees and recreation pass fees for nonresidents."

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) which works to preserve America's national parks, told ABC News that the group is looking into the matter with the U.S. Department of the Interior directly.

"There's a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on how it will be implemented - all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior," an NPCA spokesman said.

In addition, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced eight "resident-only patriotic fee-free days" next year: Veteran's Day (November 11, 2026)

KGO contributed to this report.