National Park Service Revises Fee-Free Days and Implements New Pricing for International Visitors
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National Park Service Revises Fee-Free Days and Implements New Pricing for International Visitors

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Summary

The National Park Service has updated its fee-free days for 2026, removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, adding President Trump's birthday, and introducing higher fees for international visitors.

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced changes to its fee-free admission days for 2026, effective January 1. The updated schedule removes Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, while adding June 14—coinciding with Flag Day and President Donald Trump's birthday. Other fee-free days include Presidents Day (February 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Independence Day weekend (July 3–5), the NPS's 110th anniversary (August 25), Constitution Day (September 17), Theodore Roosevelt's birthday (October 27), and Veterans Day (November 11).

In addition to these changes, the NPS is implementing new pricing policies for international visitors. Starting January 1, 2026, non-U.S. residents will be required to pay an additional $100 per person at 11 of the most visited national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, on top of the standard entrance fee. The annual pass for non-residents will increase to $250, while the annual pass for U.S. residents remains at $80.

These adjustments are part of the Department of the Interior's "America-first entry fee policies," aimed at ensuring 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 the parks.

The Department also highlighted resident-only patriotic fee-free days for 2026, emphasizing the administration's commitment to making national parks more accessible and affordable for American citizens.

Source

NPR

First reported

U.S. National Parks to Implement Higher Fees for International Visitors in 2026

• The Guardian

Fact-checking

Fact-check the facts of the article using external sources and databases.

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Confirmed

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced changes to its fee-free admission days for 2026, effective January 1, removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, while adding June 14—coinciding with Flag Day and President Donald Trump's birthday.

✓
Confirmed

Starting January 1, 2026, non-U.S. residents will be required to pay an additional $100 per person at 11 of the most visited national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, on top of the standard entrance fee.

✓
Confirmed

The annual pass for non-residents will increase to $250, while the annual pass for U.S. residents remains at $80.

✓
Confirmed

The Department of the Interior's 'America-first entry fee policies' aim to ensure that U.S. taxpayers continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving the parks.

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