President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would begin charging foreign tourists more to enter America’s national parks than U.S. residents.
The announcement at a rally in Iowa came as he signed two executive orders dealing with national parks, including one that directs Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to “appropriately” raise prices of entrance fees and recreation passes for non-residents.
“To fund improvements and enhanced experiences across the park systems,” Trump said. “I’ve just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans. And we’re going to do that. The National Parks will be about America First, we’re gonna take it America First.”
.@POTUS announces that entrance fees for foreign tourists at National Parks will be raised in order to fund park improvements and enhanced experiences: “The National Parks will be about AMERICA FIRST” pic.twitter.com/fIUB7ET0tC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2025
The executive order states that the additional funds raised will be used to enhance park infrastructure and make the parks more accessible and affordable for Americans.
“From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.”
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The order also directs Burgum to establish rules granting American residents preferential treatment for permitting or in situations where a lottery system restricts entry to certain areas.
In recent years, there has been an increase in tourism at national parks, with a record 331.9 million visitors in 2024. In response, more and more parks, such as Arches in Utah and Rocky Mountain in Colorado, have begun implementing timed-entry programs.
The order also rescinded an Obama-era executive order that called for the National Park Service to promote diversity and inclusion, including in the workforce.
The other executive order signed by Trump on Thursday created the “Make America Beautiful Commission,” composed of Burgum, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and other cabinet officials.
The commission was tasked with advising the president on how to “responsibly conserve America’s national treasures and natural resources” and “developing policies to recover fish and wildlife populations through collaboration rather than regulation.”
The commission was instructed “to expand access to public lands, national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges while promoting a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities like hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, boating, off-roading, and wildlife viewing.”
