Starting January 1, international visitors to US national parks will face a significant fee hike as part of the Department of the Interior’s ‘America First’ policy. The annual pass, now rebranded as ‘America the Beautiful,’ will remain at $80 for US residents but will skyrocket to $250 for nonresidents. Additionally, visitors without an annual pass will be charged an extra $100 per person to enter 11 of the most popular national parks, on top of the standard entrance fee. This means a family of four from abroad will pay $480 to visit the Grand Canyon National Park, up from the current $80. The affected parks include iconic destinations such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks. Furthermore, the 10 annual fee-free days, which previously allowed all visitors free entry, will now be exclusive to US citizens and permanent residents. These days include Presidents’ Day, Flag Day, and President Trump’s birthday. The policy aims to prioritize US taxpayers, who already fund the National Park System, while ensuring international visitors contribute more to park maintenance and improvements. The fee restructuring follows layoffs of thousands of national park employees earlier this year and proposed budget cuts, raising concerns about the future of park preservation. Critics, including Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club, argue that these changes favor corporate interests over environmental protection, potentially jeopardizing the nation’s natural heritage.