Conservationists furious over Trump’s face on new 'America the Beautiful' national park passes

WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of the Interior rolled out major changes Tuesday to the America the Beautiful passes, which grant access to more than 2,000 federally managed sites including national parks.

Starting in 2026, visitors will see digital passes, new “America-first” pricing, as well as artwork featuring President Donald Trump.

National Parks fees

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the changes in a press release, saying they will “ensure that US 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.”

US residents will continue paying $80 per year for the pass, but international visitors will see a steep climb to $250. Those without an annual pass will also be charged an extra $100 per person at 11 of the nation’s most visited parks, on top of regular entrance fees. The DOI hasn’t said which parks are on that list.

The agency will also add at least eight new fee-free days for US residents, including Constitution Day, Independence Day weekend, and Trump’s birthday.

Businesses near major national parks say they’re worried. They fear that higher barriers for international travelers could shrink visitor numbers and hit small operators the hardest.

Conservationists blast new look

Tour operators and conservation advocates didn’t seem too happy with the new developments.

Elisabeth Barton, who runs Echo Adventure Cooperative near Yosemite, called the move “yet another sign that the people recommending these price hikes...are as far removed from the natural world as someone can be.”

She told SFGATE, “International visitors are a vital part of the park community, and when you create barriers that deter them, the ripple effects land hardest on small, locally owned businesses that already operate on thin margins.”

The administration is also introducing digital passes that link to visitors’ phones. Both the physical and digital versions will now feature “bold, patriotic designs that honor America’s landscapes, heritage, and outdoor legacy.”

However, the mockup sparked some backlash. Instead of wildlife or scenic landscapes, the design shows President Donald Trump next to a painted likeness of George Washington.

California naturalist Justin Legge slammed the change. “For a person who has done so much to remove protections from significant federally protected lands to put his face directly on the national park access pass is extremely disingenuous, if not outright hurtful to the conservation community overall," he alleged, adding, “We would not have national parks, or protected federal lands in general, if leaders with those ideals were in place while we were in the process of creating them.”

The new pass will, however, now admit two motorcycles instead of one. According to the DOJ, the shift will make travel “more accessible for riders and families who travel on two wheels.”

Why policy shift happened

The changes stem from an executive order Trump signed this summer, requiring the Interior Department to raise national park entry fees for international visitors. Earlier efforts to hike prices at top parks like Zion and Arches were scrapped after public backlash.

The administration once estimated fee increases could pull in as much as $90 million a year, with a roughly $6 uptick if spread across the 14.6 million international visitors to national parks. 

The new pricing is likely to raise even more, but that comes as fewer foreign travelers head to the United States. The World Travel & Tourism Council reports that the US is the only one of 184 countries it studied where spending by international visitors is expected to fall in 2025. Some projections estimate a decline of more than 8%.

Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, said the new Trump-branded artwork won’t win him over.

“Given the damage that the Trump administration has done to America’s National Parks and their employees, I would not purchase one of these passes with his image on it,” Wade told SFGATE. “I would pay separately at each park to help that park overcome the damage.”