Advocates suing to reverse administration’s surcharge system that has led to passport checks and angry visitors
A new $100 fee for foreign tourists entering US national parks has triggered chaos and frustrating waits, with staff reporting long entry lines as citizenship checks are made and irate visitors regularly ditching plans to patronize some of America’s most cherished landscapes.
The new fee system, introduced by the Trump administration from 1 January, has caught many visitors and National Park Service (NPS) staff off-guard, with checks now having to be undertaken to assess nationality and tourists often turning away from entrances rather than pay the surcharge. The Guardian heard accounts of problems from several NPS staff, speaking anonymously, who work at different parks across the country.
Environmental advocates have argued that the newly tiered fees are also illegal under federal law and are suing to reverse them.
Under the new system, every person who is not a resident of the US and visits any of 11 popular national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Everglades and Yellowstone, now has to pay the $100 charge along with the existing park entrance fee. An annual pass providing access to all parks for non-residents has increased in price, from $80 to $250.
