With 2026 just around the corner, travelers are already planning their national park vacations. But some things are going to change next year.
As in the past, there will be several free days for 2026. However, the days designated for them will be very different. National parks will also be more expensive for international visitors and annual passes will also be available in a new digital format, among other changes.
“This year we are making it easier and more affordable for all Americans to experience the beauty and freedom of our public lands,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a video posted on X. “These changes reflect our commitment to affordability so that every family in every corner of our country can share in the wonder and abundance of our public lands.”
These are the main changes that visitors to national parks should take into account by 2026.
Day changes at no cost
There will be 10 days without payment in 2026, a increase of six in recent years. But with the exception of Veterans Day on November 11, 2026, these are completely different than the days chosen in 2025.
Dues-free days for 2026 include:
- Presidents’ Day: February 16
- Memorial Day: May 25
- Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday: June 14
- Independence Day Weekend: July 3-5
- The 110th birthday of the National Park Service: August 25
- Constitution Day: September 17
- Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday: October 27
- Veterans Day: November 11
Next year, the NPS will not celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, June 16, the first day of National Parks Week, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act or National Public Lands Day by waiving entrance fees as it did in 2025.
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The Interior Department also plans to limit pay days only to U.S. residents, prohibiting international visitors from taking advantage of them.
Not all national parks have daily rates. Some, like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, do not charge admission, but do charge for other services, such as parking. Others, like Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park, are free year-round.
New costs for international visitors
Starting January 1, it will be more expensive for non-US residents to visit the most popular national parks. according to the DOI. That’s because of a $100 fee the National Park Service plans to impose on top of normal entrance fees, in what the Trump administration has called “America First pricing.”
“These policies ensure that American taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Burgum said in a statement.
This will be in effect for foreign travelers over the age of 16 who visit one of these 11 parks: Acadia National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Zion National Park.
International visitors who plan to visit multiple parks can purchase an annual pass, but that will also cost more for non-residents ($250) than for those who live in the US ($80).
To enforce the new rule, visitors will be asked to present a U.S. government-issued photo ID at national park entrances. KQED reported. If they don’t have one, they will have to pay the highest rates.
New digital passes and inclusions.
For US citizens and residents, the America the Beautiful annual pass will continue to cost $80 in 2026. New for next year, it will be available as digital downloadthat passholders can store in their Recreation.gov accounts, in a mobile app or in a mobile wallet.
Passholders who prefer a physical pass can still request one, but please note that you will incur an additional $7.50 shipping and handling charge. Travelers can also pick up a physical pass in person at more than 1,000 locations nationwide.
Starting in 2026, each pass will include new motorcycle access, covering two motorcycles per pass.
New graphics for annual passes
In recent years, annual passes have included images of wildlife or natural scenery that make America’s national parks worth visiting. This year, however, the DOI said it will offer new “bold patriotic designs,” including images of Trump himself.
Trump’s face will adorn the annual pass along with an image of George Washington behind him, according to a rendering shared by Burgum. Trump will also appear on the 2026 annual pass for military members, in which he salutes while facing backwards.
Legal experts have questioned the legality of placing Trump’s face on the annual pass, since these images are usually chosen through an annual contest. SFGate reported.
“The National Parks Recreation Pass law, written by Congress, is clear and requires an annual public image contest to help educate the public about national parks and public lands, which clearly precludes the use of the pass and our parks as a political tool,” Robert Keiter, a natural resources law professor at the University of Utah, told SFGate. “Parks are and must be a nonpartisan vital place for all the American people, as established in the National Parks Act of 1916.”
In the future, passholders who prefer the old pass images will need to make their purchase quickly. Each pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase until the end of the same month of the following year. Travelers who purchase a pass in December 2025 will be able to use it until the following year.
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