An Arizona tour company is suing the Trump administration over higher national park fees for people who don’t live in the United States, arguing the policy goes beyond the administration’s legal authority.
Under the Trump administration’s policy, nonresidents are charged an additional $100 per person at some of the nation’s most-visited national parks, and nonresident annual passes now cost $250, compared with $80 for residents. Across Arizona Tours says that the Interior department never had the authority to set the fees, and that only Congress can authorize federal fees.
The tour company is represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a libertarian law firm that focuses on property rights and limiting federal regulatory power. PLF has historically been on the opposing side of conservation groups, like in Sackett v. EPA (2023), which sharply narrowed Clean Water Act protections for wetlands.
Across Arizona Tours’ Carole Stapleton spoke with 80 to 90 potential customers who didn’t book a tour. Many of them cited the higher fees.
Businesses near the Grand Canyon warned about this before the fee took effect in January. About 14 percent of the park’s nearly 5 million annual visitors come from abroad. Last December, Julie Aldaz, general manager of the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, said business was already down 15 to 18 percent.
An Interior spokesperson told The Hill that foreign tourists “are paying higher entrance fees to help maintain our parks and improve visitor experiences.” But the surcharge brought in $22.5 million in the first half of 2026. Over roughly the same period, the administration moved at least $90 million in park fee revenue to Washington, D.C., for July 4 fireworks and President Donald Trump’s beautification projects.
Quick hits
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The Forest Service is poised to hand off one of the West’s most visited landscapes
Arizona tour company sues over Trump’s nonresident fee at national parks
The Hill | SFGATE | Arizona’s Family
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Quote of the day
It’s a myth that in order to make money, you have to trash the environment or that if you protect the environment, it’s going to cost our nation in lost economic productivity.”
—The late businessman and conservationist Ted Turner, speaking with Mountain Outlaw in 2017, Mountain Journal
Picture This
We have a new fat Bear Champ! Bear 89 nicknamed “Backpack”
As Fat Bear Week comes to a close, we’re celebrating more than crowned champions and epic bear glow‑ups, we’re celebrating all of you!
Your votes, your posts, your favorite bear campaigns, and your shared love for Katmai’s wild places turned this week into a collective story shaped by thousands of voices. It’s a reminder that just like America’s 250th anniversary, traditions endure because people keep them alive.
This year, we honored resilience in our bears and in our nation, recognizing the landscapes, communities, and shared stories that connect us. Thanks for being part of the journey. Until next year, enjoy the bears, salmon, and human connection that keeps Katmai’s ecosystems alive.
Photo and graphics courtesy of Explore.org and Sara Wolman
(Featured image: Tourists at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Photo by Marek Slusarczyk, Wikimedia Commons)