America’s national parks take MAGA turn by raising fees for foreign visitors | Opinion
America’s national parks are going full MAGA.
Outsiders are still welcome, but only if they reach deeper into their wallets.
After leaving the National Park Service high and dry with budget cuts and staffing reductions, President Trump has unfurled a new policy that his administration claims will generate $90 million in annual revenues for the beleaguered federal agency.
It’s called, “Soak the foreigners.”
Foreign tourists will pay more for entrance fees and recreation passes at Yosemite National Park and dozens of our nation’s other scenic wonders following a recent Trump executive order signed last week.
“To fund improvements and enhanced experiences across the park system, I’ve just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans,” Trump said Thursday during a rally in Iowa. “The national parks will be about America first.”
What Trump neglected to say – must’ve slipped his mind – is that his own “big, beautiful bill” slashed more than $1 billion from the Park Service’s budget in fiscal year 2026, a reduction of roughly 30% from the previous year.
Nor did Trump mention that permanent staffing has dropped by 24% since he took office in January, while just 4,500 of the 8,000 seasonal workers his administration pledged for this summer have been hired. That’s according to analysis by the National Parks Conservation Association, a watchdog advocacy group.
Like seemingly everything else Trump says or does, details are vague.
The order directs the Department of the Interior (the Park Service’s parent agency) to increase entrance fees and America the Beautiful Pass prices for non-U.S. residents – but does not say by how much or when the new rates will be enforced.
Also unclear is how many of the 433 national parks, monuments and historic sites managed by the Park Service will be impacted. Roughly 100 currently charge entrance fees, including Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.
And while Trump’s order states the new surcharges imposed on foreign visitors will “improve affordability for United States residents,” the White House provided no information to back up that claim.
“I think we’re way undercharging, as a nation, for international visitors,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during a House oversight hearing in June.
Trump’s order also directs Park Service officials to ensure Americans get priority over foreign visitors regarding any of its permitting or reservation systems.
Park surcharges common abroad
While national parks in the U.S. have traditionally charged the same rates to residents and international travelers, surcharges for foreign visitors is fairly common abroad. As an extreme example, non-residents pay $100 to enter Galápagos National Park in Ecuador compared to just $6 to Ecuadorian citizens.
At the state level, California charges more to out-of-state residents for fishing and hunting licenses. Also, Oregon increased camping and parking fees by 25% for non-residents as of July 1.
Is it bad policy to make international travelers pay more to enjoy America’s national parks? I don’t believe so. One can make a good case that they should. Same goes for priority on camping reservations, which typically sell out in minutes at popular destinations like Yosemite.
But in this instance, the Trump administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth. There is no logical rationale to cripple the Park Service with budget cuts and staffing reductions that damage the visitor experience, then expect foreigners to save the day. Our national parks deserve better than to be treated like a cash register.
The U.S. used to be a better country than that. We no longer are.
