2026 national park fees

The standard entry fee

Every national park charges a vehicle entry fee — typically $35 per car, valid for seven days at that park. This covers the vehicle and everyone in it regardless of passenger count. The fee applies each time you enter a different park, so a trip covering Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone would cost $105 in vehicle fees alone.

The 2026 non-resident surcharge

Since 2026, international visitors aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 per person surcharge at eleven major national parks:

• Yosemite
• Grand Canyon
• Yellowstone
• Zion
• Glacier
• Grand Teton
• Rocky Mountain
• Bryce Canyon
• Sequoia & Kings Canyon
• Everglades
• Acadia

The surcharge applies per person, per park, on top of the vehicle fee. A couple visiting a single surcharge park pays $35 (vehicle) + $200 (two surcharges) = $235. Visit two parks and the total climbs to $70 + $400 = $470. The numbers escalate quickly.

The $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass

The Non-Resident Annual Pass costs $250 and covers:

• Entry to every national park in the United States for one year
• The passholder plus up to three additional adults aged 16 and over — four adults maximum
• All children under 16, with no limit on number
• Both the vehicle entry fee and the per-person surcharge — passholders pay nothing at the gate

For a couple visiting even one surcharge park, the pass saves money from day one ($235 at the gate versus $250 for a year of unlimited access). For anyone visiting two or more parks, buying the pass is not a decision — it is arithmetic.

The under-16 exemption

Children under 16 are completely exempt from the $100 surcharge. They do not count toward the four-adult limit on the annual pass. This matters for family planning:

A family of two adults and two children aged 14 and 12 is fully covered by a single pass — two adults within the four-person limit, two children exempt. No additional fees at any park.

A family of two adults and two teenagers aged 17 and 16 uses all four adult slots on one pass — still fully covered, but only just. Add a grandparent or an older sibling and the fifth adult pays $100 per surcharge park even if the group has a pass.

Groups of five or more adults

The pass covers a maximum of four adults aged 16 and over. Any additional adult in the group pays the $100 surcharge at each surcharge park regardless of whether the group holds a pass. For larger groups visiting multiple parks, buying a second pass at $250 may be cheaper than paying $100 per head at every gate.

The calculation: if the fifth person visits three or more surcharge parks ($300 in surcharges), a second pass ($250) saves money. For groups of six to eight adults, two passes cover everyone.

Where to buy

The Non-Resident Annual Pass can be purchased online at recreation.gov before you travel, or at the entrance station of your first national park. Buying in advance avoids queuing at the gate — entrance stations at popular parks like Yosemite and Grand Canyon can have waits of an hour or more in summer.