With 2026 just around the corner, travelers are already planning their national park vacations. But some things are set to change next year.
Like in the past, there will be several fee-free days for 2026. However, the designated days for these will look much different. National parks will also become more expensive for international visitors, and annual passes will also come in a new digital format, among other changes.
“This year we’re making it easier and more affordable for every American to experience the beauty and freedom of our public lands,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a video posted to X. “These changes reflect our commitment to affordability so that every family from every corner of our country can share in the wonder and abundance of our public lands.”
These are the major changes national park visitors should be aware of heading into 2026.
Fee-free day changes
There will be 10 fee-free days in 2026, an increase from six in past years. But with the exception of Veterans’ Day on Nov. 11, 2026, these are completely different from the days chosen in 2025.
The fee-free days for 2026 include:
- Presidents Day: Feb. 16
- Memorial Day: May 25
- Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday: June 14
- Independence Day weekend: July 3 to 5
- The 110th birthday of the National Park Service: Aug. 25
- Constitution Day: Sept. 17
- Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday: Oct. 27
- Veterans Day: Nov. 11
Next year, the NPS won’t celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Juneteenth, the first day of National Park Week, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act or National Public Lands Day by waiving entrance fees as they did for 2025.
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The Department of the Interior also plans to limit fee-free days to U.S. residents only, prohibiting international visitors from taking advantage.
Not all national parks have daily fees. Some, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park, don’t charge an entrance fee 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 Jan. 1, it will become more expensive for non-U.S. residents to visit the most popular national parks, according to the DOI. That’s thanks to 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 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 our parks for future generations,” Burgum said in a statement.
This will be in effect for foreign travelers 16 and older 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 U.S. ($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 need to pay the increased fees.
New digital passes and inclusions
For U.S. citizens and residents, the annual America the Beautiful pass will still cost $80 in 2026. New for next year, it will be available as a digital download, which pass holders can store on their Recreation.gov accounts, in a mobile app or in a mobile wallet.
Pass holders who prefer a physical pass can still order one, but please note that it will incur an additional $7.50 charge for shipping and handling. 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 access for motorcycles, covering two motorcycles per pass.
New graphics for annual passes
In past years, annual passes have included images of wildlife or the natural scenery that make America’s national parks worth visiting. However, this year, 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 Burgum shared. Trump will also appear on the 2026 annual pass for military members, in which he is facing backward in a salute.
Legal experts have questioned the legality of placing Trump’s face on the annual pass, as these images are typically chosen through a yearly competition, SFGate reported.
“The National Park Recreation Pass law as written by Congress is clear and mandates holding a public competition for the annual image to help educate the public about national parks and public lands, which clearly precludes using the pass and our parks as a political tool,” Robert Keiter, a natural resource law professor at the University of Utah, told SFGate. “The parks are and should be a vital non-partisan venue for all of the American people, as articulated in the 1916 National Parks Organic Act.”
Going forward, pass holders who prefer the old pass imagery should make their purchase quickly. Each pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase through the end of the same month the following year. Travelers who purchase a pass in December 2025 will be able to use it through the following year.
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