Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it?

For a US resident it costs $80 a year. The highest private-vehicle fee at a national park is $35 (10 parks charge it), so 3 parks at that price already beat the pass. One park on one trip is almost always cheaper at the gate. The calculator above does the sum for your exact parks.

Does the pass cover the $100 nonresident fee?

Yes. At the 11 parks that charge it, nonresidents 16 and older pay $100 each on top of the entrance fee, "unless admitted with an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass" (nps.gov). The pass covers the fee for everyone in your private vehicle, or the passholder plus three adults where fees are per person.

How long is a national park entrance fee good for?

A standard entrance pass covers one national park for 1 to 7 days, according to nps.gov. Come back after that, or visit a different park, and you pay again (unless you have an annual pass).

Can I share my America the Beautiful pass?

It covers one private vehicle (or four per-person fees), so your passengers ride in on it. But the pass itself is non-transferable: nps.gov says passholders must show valid photo ID with each pass.

Which national parks are free?

23 of the 62 national park units charge no entrance fee, according to NPS data, including American Samoa, Biscayne, Channel Islands, Congaree and Cuyahoga Valley. The full list is on our fee-free days page.

Pass calculator · 2026 prices

Is the national park pass worth it?

Last verified October 1, 2026Resident $80Nonresident $250

Add the parks on your list and we'll total the real 2026 gate fees, including the new $100 nonresident fee, then tell you whether the America the Beautiful pass pays for itself.

1 · Which parks are you visiting?

Classic road trips

2 · Where do you live?

In the US Outside the US

3 · People aged 16 and older

Count people 16+. The nonresident fee starts at 16, and many per-person parks admit youth 15 and under free.

4 · How are you getting in?

Car Motorcycle On foot or bike

Someone in the group is 62 or older. US citizens and residents 62+ can get the $20 Senior Annual Pass instead.

The verdict

Get the pass. You save $10.

The $80 America the Beautiful pass beats $90 in gate fees.

Pay at each gate$90

With the $80 pass$80

Gate fees by park
Park	Entrance
Zionper vehicle	$35
Bryce Canyonper vehicle	$35
Capitol Reefper vehicle	$20
Total at the gate	$90

📅 Each entrance fee is a standard pass good for 1 to 7 days at that park. A second trip later means a second fee.
📦 Ordering a physical pass from the USGS Store adds $7.50 in fees; buying at a park gate doesn't.

Fees from the NPS Data API; pass rules from nps.gov. How we calculate

The pass, in three numbers

What the America the Beautiful pass covers

One pass, every national park (and other federal recreation sites) for a year. nps.gov puts it simply: it covers “One private vehicle fee or Four per person fees”.

US residents

$80

A year of entrance fees at every national park. Bring proof of US citizenship or residency.

Visitors from abroad

$250

Covers the entire vehicle, or 2 motorcycles, or the passholder plus three additional adults in their party where per-person rather than per-vehicle fees are charged.

Nonresident fee

$100

Per person aged 16+, on top of the entrance fee, at 11 parks. Waived with an annual or America the Beautiful pass.

New in 2026

The 11 parks with a $100 nonresident fee

Since January 1, 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and older pay $100 each at these parks, in addition to the regular entrance fee. NPS: “Non-U.S. residents will pay the standard entrance fee at each of these parks, plus a $100 fee per person aged 16 or older.”

Entrance and nonresident fees at the 11 parks
Park	Per vehicle	Per person	Nonresident (16+)
Acadia	$35	$20	$100
Bryce Canyon	$35	$20	$100
Everglades	$35	$20	$100
Glacier	$35	$20	$100
Grand Canyon	$35	$20	$100
Grand Teton	$35	$20	$100
Rocky Mountain	$30	$15	$100
Sequoia & Kings Canyon	$35	$20	$100
Yellowstone	$35	$20	$100
Yosemite	$35	$20	$100
Zion	$35	$20	$100

Fees from the NPS Data API, checked October 1, 2026. Visiting from abroad? Our guide for international visitors covers it in Deutsch, français and español too.

Cheaper, or free

Other America the Beautiful passes

If anyone in your group qualifies for one of these, the calculator's maths gets even easier. They're for US citizens and residents only. nps.gov: All other America the Beautiful passes are for US citizens and residents only.

Senior Annual PassUS citizens and residents 62+ years old$20
Senior Lifetime PassUS citizens and residents 62+ years old$80
Military Annual PassCurrent US military and dependentsFree
Military Lifetime PassGold Star Family members and veteransFree
Access PassUS citizens and residents with permanent disabilityFree
4th Grade PassUS 4th gradersFree
Volunteer PassFederal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hoursFree

Prices and eligibility as listed on nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.

No black boxes

How the calculator adds it up

1Entrance fees come from the NPS. Every park's private-vehicle, per-person and motorcycle fee is from the NPS Data API (/feespasses), pulled October 1, 2026.
2A car pays once. "The "Private Vehicle" price is the entrance fee for one vehicle and its passengers." On foot or a bike, everyone pays the per-person price.
3Some parks charge per person, even in a car. "If a park lists only one price, labeled "Per Person", you must have your own entrance pass, even if you're a passenger in a vehicle." Carlsbad Caverns and Denali work this way.
4Nonresidents add $100 each at 11 parks. For each person 16 or older, on top of the entrance fee. The pass waives it for your whole vehicle.
5The pass covers a car, or four people. Per nps.gov it covers "One private vehicle fee or Four per person fees". At per-person parks, a group bigger than four still pays for the extras.
6One fee per park per trip. A standard pass is good for 1 to 7 days at one park, so each park is counted once.

Buying it

Where to get the pass

At a park entrance or visitor center
nps.gov: “Physical passes can be purchased or picked up at over 1,000 federal recreation sites.”
Digital, from Recreation.gov
“Your digital pass can be saved to a mobile device and used immediately.”
By mail, from the USGS Store
$80 or $250 plus $7.50 in order fees. “Online orders are for physical passes, not digital passes, and may take up to three weeks to be processed and delivered.”

Got a pass from before 2026?

Annual passes bought before January 1, 2026 keep their original terms for 12 months, and nps.gov confirms they also cover the nonresident fee.

Sources · 7

1.Entrance Passes (nps.gov) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
2.Nonresident Fees (nps.gov) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.Entrance Fee Prices · National Park Service
4.NPS Data API — /feespasses (entrance fees, park passes, timed entry) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
5.2026 Resident Annual Pass (USGS Store) · U.S. Geological Survey Store (official America the Beautiful pass seller)
6.2026 Non-Resident Annual Pass (USGS Store) · U.S. Geological Survey Store (official America the Beautiful pass seller)
7.Digital America the Beautiful Pass · Recreation.gov

FAQ

Pass questions, answered

Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it?: For a US resident it costs $80 a year. The highest private-vehicle fee at a national park is $35 (10 parks charge it), so 3 parks at that price already beat the pass. One park on one trip is almost always cheaper at the gate. The calculator above does the sum for your exact parks.
How much is the national park pass for international visitors in 2026?: $250. Since January 1, 2026, non-US residents pay $250 for the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass, which covers the entire vehicle, or 2 motorcycles, or the passholder plus three additional adults in their party where per-person rather than per-vehicle fees are charged. All other America the Beautiful passes are for US citizens and residents only.
Does the pass cover the $100 nonresident fee?: Yes. At the 11 parks that charge it, nonresidents 16 and older pay $100 each on top of the entrance fee, "unless admitted with an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass" (nps.gov). The pass covers the fee for everyone in your private vehicle, or the passholder plus three adults where fees are per person.
How long is a national park entrance fee good for?: A standard entrance pass covers one national park for 1 to 7 days, according to nps.gov. Come back after that, or visit a different park, and you pay again (unless you have an annual pass).
Can I share my America the Beautiful pass?: It covers one private vehicle (or four per-person fees), so your passengers ride in on it. But the pass itself is non-transferable: nps.gov says passholders must show valid photo ID with each pass.
Which national parks are free?: 23 of the 62 national park units charge no entrance fee, according to NPS data, including American Samoa, Biscayne, Channel Islands, Congaree and Cuyahoga Valley. The full list is on our fee-free days page.

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