International visitors now pay $100 extra at 11 national parks, including Rocky Mountain. How the fee works

Since January 1, 2026, a family from Toronto, Munich or Tokyo arriving at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park has paid more than an American family in the next car. Under a policy announced by the Interior Department on November 25, 2025, nonresidents age 16 and older pay a $100 per-person surcharge, on top of standard entrance fees, at 11 of the most-visited national parks. The alternative is a nonresident version of the America the Beautiful annual pass, priced at $250.

Nine months in, the policy is established enough to plan around, though its effect on visitor numbers is not yet clear from published data. Here is how it works.

Where the surcharge applies

The surcharge applies at 11 parks, according to the Interior Department’s list as summarized by the Congressional Research Service:

• 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)

Some early coverage described the policy as covering ten parks; the official list has eleven entries. Other parks charge nonresidents the standard fee.

Who pays, and how much

The surcharge is $100 per person for nonresidents 16 and older. It is collected in person at entry points, according to the International Inbound Travel Association, while the nonresident annual pass can be bought on Recreation.gov.

The annual pass costs $250 for nonresidents. U.S. residents continue to pay $80 for the standard America the Beautiful pass. The two passes do not work identically everywhere. According to IITA’s summary, at parks that charge per vehicle, the nonresident pass covers one private vehicle and all its occupants, including their nonresident fees. At parks that charge per person, it covers only the passholder.

The arithmetic follows from those rules. For a couple from abroad visiting one surcharge park in a private car, the surcharge for two adults is $200 plus the standard entrance fee, while a $250 pass covers the car. For anyone planning to visit more than one or two of the 11 parks, the pass is almost always cheaper. Travel guides have estimated that a family visit priced with the surcharge can exceed $400.

The reasoning, and the pushback

The administration presented the surcharge as a way to have international visitors contribute more to the upkeep of the most heavily used parks. In its 2026 budget proposal, the Interior Department estimated that such a surcharge on international visitors could generate more than $90 million a year. No figures on actual 2026 collections had been published as of the Congressional Research Service’s August update.

Travel and conservation groups have raised concerns. The National Parks Conservation Association has said families traveling from abroad are choosing not to enter parks because of the cost. A group of senators, including Oregon’s Ron Wyden, urged a pause on the new fees. A White House spokesperson has denied that the policy would have a negative effect on tourism.

The broader travel picture complicates any assessment. International arrivals to the United States fell 5.4% last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association, and the Commerce Department recorded about a million fewer visitors from Europe in January 2026 than a year earlier. Overall national park visitation dipped only slightly in 2025, by 0.6%, which GearJunkie attributed largely to the government shutdown. Separating the surcharge’s effect from wider trends will require park-level data that has not yet been released.

The surcharge list is also short. Many celebrated parks are not on it. In Colorado alone, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison are outside the 11, as are dozens of parks across the West. International visitors building an itinerary can still visit those at standard rates, and for travelers who do not plan to enter any of the 11, the standard fees apply throughout.

What it means around Rocky Mountain

For Colorado, the park in question is Rocky Mountain, whose gateway towns, Estes Park on the east side and Grand Lake on the west, depend heavily on summer and fall visitors. Lodging, guiding and restaurant businesses there serve international guests alongside domestic ones, and the surcharge is now part of what those guests pay to reach the park.

Operators that run group tours have faced practical questions, including how the surcharge applies to passengers on commercial road tours. IITA reported in February that guidance on group tours had not been finalized at that time, and businesses in that segment should check current Park Service rules for commercial use.

Practical advice for visitors and hosts

• Buy the pass before arriving if you will visit two or more of the 11 parks, or more than one person in your car is a nonresident at a per-vehicle park.
• Carry identification. Residency determines the fee; expect to be asked.
• Check per-person versus per-vehicle rules for each park on your route, because the pass works differently at each.
• Hosts and outfitters should say so up front. Lodging and guide businesses that serve international guests can avoid unpleasant surprises at the gate by explaining the fee in booking confirmations.

The fee schedule can change, and the Park Service publishes current rates on each park’s website. The Congressional Research Service’s August report is a useful neutral summary of the policy and the debate around it.