Australians visiting US national parks like Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone will need to pay higher fees as Donald Trump tells foreign tourists he is putting “America first”.
“I have just signed an executive order to raise entry fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans,” the US President said at a rally in Iowa. “The national parks will be about America first.”
Mr Trump has also ordered the US National Park Service to ensure that Americans receive priority access in reservation systems.
The White House says the extra funds from foreigners will go towards improving parks infrastructure and conservation projects.
It is the latest announcement in Mr Trump’s controversial planned upheaval of the country’s national parks system.
His 2026 financial year budget proposes to cut more than $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) in federal funding for the US National Parks Service (nearly 40 per cent of the agency’s current budget), which has been described by National Park Conservation Association president Theresa Pierno as “catastrophic”.
US President Donald Trump made the announcement at a rally in Iowa on July 3, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The White House claimed the proposed budget would “continue supporting many national treasures, but there is an urgent need to streamline staffing and transfer certain properties to state-level management to ensure the long-term health and sustainment of the national park system”.
NPS oversees 85 million acres of federal land and there are 433 sites in the National Park System, with parks in every state.
In February, more than 1000 park workers were laid off (more than 700 others took buyouts). Ms Pierno said in an update last week the NPS had lost 24 per cent of its permanent staff, nearly a quarter of its workforce, since Mr Trump took office.
