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National Parks Will Raise Fees For International Tourists To Popular US Parks 

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The National Park Service stated this week that they will begin charging the millions of international tourists who visit US parks annually an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular destinations, and will be leaving them out of “fee-free” days that are now reserved for Americans, according to reports from the Associated Press. 

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The service declared “America-first entry fee policies” in response to the national parks dealing with staff reduction and major budget cuts that are causing major strains throughout the system. 

The National Park Service is also still recovering from the recent government shutdown which caused them to have a significant loss in revenue with no fees being collected. 

According to the US Department of the Interior, the fee change will be implemented into 11 national parks including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite; some of the most popular destinations. 

These new fee changes will begin to take effect on January 1st.

Foreign tourists will also have their annual parks pass jump in price to $250 with US residents continuing to be charged $80, according to the department’s statement. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a social media post that “the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”

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These changes also come following an executive order made in July where President Donald Trump directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists. 

“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said.

In 2018, the US Travel Association estimated that national parks and monuments had over 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone specifically reported that in 2024, about 15% of their visitors were from outside of the country; this marks a 30% decline from 2018. 

This increase in pricing and fees is cited to help support the national parks so that they can upgrade facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the official statement. 

The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” that will begin next year includes Veterans Day, which was actually one of the parks’ eight free days open for everyone in 2025.

The Department of the Interior announced they wanted to “ensure that everyone, no matter their zip code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”

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Gettysburg National Military Park In Pennsylvania Subjected To Vandalism 

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Pennsylvania’s Gettysburg National Military Park, where a pivotal battle of the Civil War was fought, was recently subject to vandalism. 

In a statement shared by the National Park Service last week, they said that someone, or multiple people, had both spray painted and carved graffiti on the War Department Observation Tower, and on a large rock. The vandalism took place over a period of a few days, as reported by CNN.

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“Our hearts sank when these two cases of vandalism were reported within days of each other. We were fearful that the graffiti carved into the rock may be there for future generations,” Park Superintendent Kristina Heister said in a statement. 

Park staff were luckily able to quickly and swiftly remove all of the vandalism after it occurred. 

In her statement, Heister thanked the staffers who were able to remove the graffiti once visitors of the park alerted them of the damage. One of the graffiti items showed the names Jayce and Maddie in a heart with the date 9/13/20. 

While the vandalism itself didn’t cause any permanent damage, the National Park Service still wants to know who was responsible for the vandalism. 

“We can’t do it alone. Vandalism of irreplaceable historic objects and structures that belong to all Americans should concern everyone. We all share in the responsibility of protecting and caring for this special place and everyone is a steward of the heritage, history, and resources of Gettysburg during their visit,” the statement read. 

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Unfortunately, vandalism across America’s national parks is not an uncommon occurrence, many times due to their large size. It’s also common for individuals working within these parks and the National Parks Service to ask the public for help identifying the responsible parties. 

CNN reported back in 2020 how a Canadian man wrote “Steve and Lacy” on rocks and other historic structures in California’s Joshua Tree National Forest. The man turned himself in and made a public apology when one of his acquaintances saw the pictures of the graffiti on social media. 

Even more recently, the Grand Canyon recently issued a major warning against leaving what are known as “love locks” hooked onto structures throughout the Arizona park. 

The locks themselves weigh down the structures they’re placed on throughout the park. Additionally, it’s often “tradition” in the ceremony of placing a love lock somewhere to take the key and throw it in the nearest body of water. The locks and keys have been known to be eaten by California condors as they’re attracted to shiny objects in the distance. The condors are also endangered and live in the Grand Canyon. 

For this reason and others, the National Parks Service considers love locks to be seen as graffiti and litter.

“Love is strong, but our bolt cutters are stronger,” the Grand Canyon wrote.