Wyden, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Pause Discriminatory National Park Entry Fees

Senators express concerns over January 1 implementation - without proper notice - of $250 America the Beautiful non-resident annual passes and $100 non-resident fee for highly visited national parks

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said today he has joined colleagues in calling on the Trump administration to pause its expensive new national park entry fees and annual passes for non-residents scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Wyden and the other senators emphasized these new passes and fees were not properly noticed in accordance with the law, will slow park entry, and will further limit international visitation. In late November, the federal Department of Interior announced a new fee structure for access to public lands. Beginning next year, the annual pass will cost $80 for U.S. citizens and residents and $250 for non-residents, the first time the United States has required proof of residency to have access to public lands. Non-residents age 16 and up who don't have an annual pass will be forced to pay a $100 per person fee to enter 11 of the country's most visited national parks.

"America's national parks serve as destinations for visitors both domestically and internationally to experience our country's natural beauty, cultural heritage, and history," the senators wrote Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. "While we understand that entrance and recreation fees are vital to enhancing the visitor experience, we want to ensure all feel welcome to enjoy all national treasures. Since these new fees are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, we strongly believe these fees are being implemented too quickly, without public input, and will be a barrier for both residents and non-residents alike."

"We request that you stop implementation of the new non-resident passes and fees until the public has an opportunity to weigh in, impacts to visitation are studied, and clarity on implementation is provided to Congress, NPS employees, and impacted stakeholders," the senators wrote.

The National Park Service is permitted to collect and retain entrance and recreation fees under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. These fees play an important role in making sure these parks can provide a positive visitor experience for citizens and non-residents alike. However, the law requires the Secretary of the Interior to allow the public the chance weigh in on the development of or changes to recreation fees, and it mandates advanced notice to affected communities in local publications. The senators criticized the administration for failing to provide this legally required opportunity for public input.

In addition to Wyden, the letter led by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was also signed by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

The senators also warned that this plan would further strain the understaffed Park Service workforce, as the Trump administration has cut 24% of permanent Park Service employees since January, including positions like fee collectors and information technology specialists. These staffing shortages will likely further compound entry delays, especially at the highly visited parks charging an extra $100 for non-residents.

With overseas visitation to national parks already down over 3% (and down 25% for visitors from Canada), the senators expressed concerns that these numbers could fall even further with the steep price of non-resident passes, hurting the U.S. economy.

Full text of the letter is here.