Latest news with #FederalLandsRecreationEnhancementAct
The Hill
08-07-2025
- The Hill
The national parks where international visitors could face a surcharge under Trump order
(NEXSTAR) — Under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week, millions of visitors could have to pay an increased fee when visiting national parks, a move the Department of the Interior's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 says could bring in an additional $90 million for the National Park Service. Trump's order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to develop a 'strategy' to boost revenue and improve recreational experiences at national parks. As part of that, entrance fees and the cost for a recreation pass are intended to rise for 'nonresidents.' While exact details haven't been released, like how much the additional fees will be and when they'll be imposed, the executive order does offer a glimpse into where the surcharges will appear. The price hikes, according to Trump's order, will apply only to those parks that charge entrance or recreation pass fees. Currently, only 106 of the 475 sites that are managed by the National Park Service charge an entrance fee. The most expensive among them — like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion — charge $35 per private vehicle. Few charge on a per-person basis (for those entering on foot or by bicycle), but the highest fee there is $20, found at the same three parks. If you'd prefer an annual membership, which is not available at all of the fee-charging parks, the most you'll pay is $70. You'll also find entrance fees at some of the most visited parks, like the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead, as well as some of the more remote, like Denali and Isle Royale. Other parks that already charge entrance fees include Mount Rainier, Grand Teton, Death Valley, the Everglades, Joshua Tree, Shenandoah, and Hawai'i Volcanoes. Some parks also require reservations to get in or visit certain features within the parks. Entrance fees are used to 'enhance visitor experience' under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. If you're a frequent visitor to many national parks or federal recreational lands, you may want the America The Beautiful annual pass worth $80. That price, too, is set to rise for foreign visitors under Trump's order, as well as the costs for 'any site-specific agency or regional multi-entity passes.' Like the entrance surcharge, it's unclear how large that price increase will be. While the foreign visitor fees could bring in more revenue for the parks, the Trump administration has also proposed cutting the National Park Service's staffing budgets and service operations by 30 percent, The Hill reports. Meanwhile, the Interior Department's budget proposal is requesting $2 billion for the national parks, down more than $1 billion from the current budget. It would be the largest cut in NPS history, according to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Nonetheless, Trump's order calls for efforts to increase visitor capacity at America's national parks, invest in infrastructure at the sites, and improve park access to American families by ensuring they 'receive priority access in any permitting or reservation systems.' It's estimated that of the record-setting 331.8 million visits recorded at national parks last year, 14.6 million were international tourists.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
A popular entrance to Joshua Tree National Park will close in April. What to know
Expect a longer drive into and out of Joshua Tree National Park early in April with the busy west entrance closed to all traffic beginning 6 a.m. on April 7 until 6 p.m. April 10. The closure, while inconvenient during the popular spring season, will allow heavy equipment to help finish constructing a long-awaited, badly needed larger west entrance into the park. Instead, visitors must enter or exit the park via the Twentynine Palms north entrance, or the Cottonwood entrance at the park's south boundary. The north entrance station is 25 miles east of the west entrance, and is the most accessible for visitors traveling on Highway 62, park staff said, adding about 17 minutes more driving time. For the designated four days, visitors will not be permitted to enter the park via Park Boulevard through the town of Joshua Tree. Instead, Park Boulevard will be closed to vehicle traffic for 6 miles from the current west entrance to Quail Springs Picnic Area. This closure includes the Maze Loop and Creosote trailhead parking areas. Visitors also may not drive to or park at these trailheads during the closure. This closure is necessary for crews to prepare the area for paving as the new entrance station is constructed. Crews will be cutting into the road to run utilities to the new entrance station location and to adjust the grade of the road. All other park roads are expected to remain open. The current west entrance is the busiest of the three entries to the ever-more-popular park. In 2023, more than half a million vehicles passed through it. The new entrance will be built approximately one-third mile south of the current one and further inside the park. The station will be significantly expanded to include two inbound lanes, one outbound lane, and one bypass lane in each direction. Visitors will also benefit from the upgrade of a single entrance booth to four. The project is funded by fee revenue through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. 'We appreciate the patience of our visitors and community as we continue work on the new entrance station,' said Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers. 'This temporary inconvenience will allow us to more quickly serve visitors in the future at the improved entrance station. The park recognizes this is a very busy time to close a section of road, but we must comply with the obligations set forth in our construction contract. The original closure was expected to last two weeks, and I'm glad it's been reduced to just four days.' For April 7-10, park staff will place signs along Highway 62 and Park Boulevard and within the park alerting visitors to this temporary traffic pattern change. Exiting vehicles may turn around at Quail Springs Picnic Area and entering vehicles may turn around at the current west entrance station; however, this is not advised due to an expected traffic backup. Visitors can access construction updates at Park rangers encourage visitors to observe posted speed limits and drive only on designated roads. You can save time and prepare for your visit by:\ Purchasing an entrance pass ahead of time at and being prepared to show the pass at the entrance station Downloading the NPS App for trip planning and park alerts at Checking the park website for current conditions, restrictions, closures, and more at Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun and co-authors USA Today Climate Point. She can be reached at jwilson@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Joshua Tree National Park entrance will close in April: What to know
