By January 1, 2026, Canadians wanting to visit any number of U.S. national parks will have to fork over far more cash than they used to. Issued by the National Park service, the “America the Beautiful” pass will kick into effect in the next year, forcing nonresidents to pay more than triple what they previously did.
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“America the Beautiful” Pass
In a press release published on November 25, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that they will be issuing “new digital America the Beautiful passes”, which come with a “resident-focused fee structure that puts American families first.”
“These improvements… reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people,” stated the release.
As of 2025, the current price of a U.S. national park annual pass is US$80, or around CAD$112. This goes for everyone, residents and nonresidents alike. But with the America the Beautiful pass, the price will skyrocket to US$250– or CAD$350– for nonresidents. Americans will see no change to their cost.
For nonresidents lacking an annual pass, they will have to instead pay a US$100 (CAD$140) per person fee to enter 11 of the country’s most visited national parks, in addition to the park’s standard entrance fee. Standard entrance fees vary by park, but the average cost is around US$30, or approximately CAD$42.
Price Breakdown To Visiting U.S. National Parks
Your cost, as a Canadian, will mostly depend on how many people are visiting the national park with you. Guests have the choice between a standard pass, which includes one national park and a visiting period of 1-7 days. On the other hand, the annual pass allows for an entire year of visits to one national park or park group. Guests 16 and under are free.
The cost difference can be steep. The annual pass can cover one private vehicle fee or four per person fees. If you aren’t using the private vehicle fee, then your cost for a four-person trip to a U.S. national park will run you CAD$350 with the annual pass.
If you instead opt for the standard pass, then you would be paying– at minimum– CAD$140 per person, as well as an entrance fee. For a four-person group aged above 16 visiting Acadia National Park, it would cost around CAD$756.
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