US national park fees and passes for Canadians

Canadians pay the same entrance fee as everyone else, $35 a vehicle for seven days at parks such as Yellowstone and Zion, plus a $100 nonresident fee per person aged 16 and over at 11 parks. The $80 America the Beautiful pass is for US citizens and residents only, so the America the Beautiful pass a Canadian can buy is the $250 nonresident pass. Whether it beats paying at the gate depends on how many of those 11 parks you visit and how many adults are in the car. All amounts are US dollars, checked 2 October 2026 against the National Park Service.

Which pass a Canadian can use

The America the Beautiful resident pass costs $80 and needs proof of US citizenship or residency: a US passport, a US state driver's licence or ID, or a green card. Anyone can buy the $250 nonresident pass. Any valid America the Beautiful pass, and any park-specific annual pass, covers the entrance fee and the nonresident fee for the holder and everyone in a private vehicle, so the $250 pass is not the only way out of the surcharge if you return to one park often.

Pass	Price	Who can buy it	The $100 nonresident fee
America the Beautiful, nonresident annual	$250	Anyone, Canadians included	Covered for the holder and everyone in a private vehicle
America the Beautiful, resident annual	$80	US citizens and residents, with proof	Covered, but Canadians cannot buy it
Park-specific annual pass	Set by each park	See the park's fee page	Covered at that park
Seven-day entrance at the gate	$35 a vehicle at the five parks below, $25 at Glacier from 1 November to 30 April	Anyone	Not covered: $100 per person 16 and over on top

Checked 2 October 2026 against the National Park Service passes and nonresident fees pages, in US dollars. An annual pass runs from the month you buy it to the end of that month the next year. At parks that charge per person, it covers the holder plus 3 more adults. Confirm on the official passes page before you buy.

The $100 nonresident fee at 11 parks

Since 1 January 2026, these 11 parks charge visitors who do not live in the United States $100 per person aged 16 and over, on top of the entrance fee: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. Children 15 and under pay neither fee. The fee also applies to nonresidents on commercial tours, so a bus tour does not get around it.

One thing we could not confirm on the official pages: whether the $100 lasts the same seven days as the vehicle fee or is charged again on a repeat entry. Ask at the gate before you plan a second visit to the same park, and treat the sums below as one entry per park.

Two adults in one car: when the pass wins

For two Canadian adults in one car at one surcharge park, paying at the gate is $35 plus $100 for each adult, $235 in all. That is $15 less than the $250 nonresident pass, so for one park and two adults, pay at the gate. Add a second surcharge park or a third adult and the pass is cheaper. Children 15 and under change nothing.

Trip	Pay at the gate	Nonresident pass	Cheaper
One surcharge park, two adults	$35 + $200 = $235	$250	The gate, by $15
Glacier, 1 November to 30 April, two adults	$25 + $200 = $225	$250	The gate, by $25
Two adults and two kids 15 and under, one park	$35 + $200 = $235	$250	The gate, by $15
One surcharge park, three adults	$35 + $300 = $335	$250	The pass, by $85
Yellowstone and Grand Teton, two adults	$235 + $235 = $470	$250	The pass, by $220

Checked 2 October 2026, in US dollars, from the 2026 fees: $35 a vehicle for seven days, $25 at Glacier from 1 November to 30 April, and $100 per nonresident aged 16 and over. Each park charges its own entrance fee, so Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two fees. One entry per park assumed.

What each park charges

Park	Private vehicle, 7 days	Nonresident fee
Yellowstone	$35	$100 per person 16 and over
Grand Teton	$35, separate from Yellowstone	$100 per person 16 and over
Zion	$35	$100 per person 16 and over
Grand Canyon	$35, both rims	$100 per person 16 and over
Glacier	$35, or $25 from 1 November to 30 April	$100 per person 16 and over

Checked 2 October 2026 against each park's fee page, in US dollars. The vehicle fee covers one private, non-commercial vehicle of up to 15 seats and everyone in it. For a park not listed here, its own fee page is the source, and Find a park reaches every one.

Timed entry and reservations in 2026

A reservation to drive in is separate from the entrance fee and from any pass, and the rules change from year to year. These are the 2026 rules, checked 2 October 2026. We found no 2027 rules when we checked, so check each park's page before you build a day around them.

• Rocky Mountain runs timed entry: 9 am to 2 pm park-wide from 22 May to 12 October 2026, and 5 am to 6 pm on the Bear Lake Road corridor to 18 October, released monthly on Recreation.gov.
• Glacier has no vehicle reservations in 2026. A pilot ticketed shuttle runs on Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass, with tickets on Recreation.gov 60 days ahead, and Logan Pass parking is limited to 3 hours from 1 July.
• Yosemite has no vehicle reservations at any time in 2026. The park advises arriving before 9 am or after 5 pm.
• Arches has no timed entry in 2026, but Fiery Furnace and Devils Garden Campground still need reservations.
• Mount Rainier has no timed entry in 2026.

1. 1 Months out, check the park's official page for whether it runs timed entry in your year, and when booking opens.
2. 2 Put the booking date in your calendar with an alarm. Popular slots go in minutes, not hours.
3. 3 Book on Recreation.gov the moment the window opens, with an account and a saved card ready first.
4. 4 No reservation? Where entry is timed, arrive before the window opens or after it closes.

Going when everyone else is not

Summer is the peak at northern and mountain parks such as Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton. There, September brings warm days and thinner crowds, and May is the spring equivalent, though high-elevation roads may still be closed by snow. Desert and subtropical parks such as Everglades run the other way and are busiest in winter and spring. Fee-free days do not help Canadians: since 2026 they apply to US residents only, and nonresidents pay the entrance fee and the nonresident fee as normal on those days.

Book it and check it

• Entrance fees by park → The official fee table. The last word on the numbers above. https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm
• Buy an annual pass → America the Beautiful, resident and nonresident. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
• Nonresident fees → Which 11 parks charge it, who pays, and which passes cover it. https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/nonresident-fees.htm
• Find a park → Every park page, with its own hours, fees and closure notices. https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
• Recreation.gov → Campsites, timed entry and permits for most federal land. https://www.recreation.gov
• Fee-free days → For US residents only since 2026. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Common questions

Can Canadians buy the $80 America the Beautiful pass?

No. The $80 annual pass needs proof of US citizenship or residency, such as a US passport, a US state driver's licence or ID, or a green card. The America the Beautiful pass open to Canadians is the $250 nonresident annual pass, which anyone can buy. Both prices are US dollars, checked 2 October 2026.

Do Canadians pay the $100 nonresident fee?

Yes, at 11 parks: $100 USD per person aged 16 and over on top of the entrance fee, unless the car carries a valid America the Beautiful pass or that park's annual pass. Children 15 and under pay nothing. Checked 2 October 2026.

Is the $250 nonresident pass worth it for one park?

For two adults at one surcharge park, no: the gate costs $35 plus $200, which is $235 against $250. With a second surcharge park or a third adult in the car the pass is cheaper. All in US dollars.

How much does it cost to enter a US national park?

Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion, Grand Canyon and Glacier charge $35 USD per private vehicle for seven days in 2026, covering everyone in it; Glacier charges $25 from 1 November to 30 April. Canadians 16 and over also pay the $100 nonresident fee at 11 parks. Checked 2 October 2026.

Do I need to book a US national park in advance?

For entry, only at parks running timed entry. In 2026 Rocky Mountain did, while Glacier, Yosemite, Arches and Mount Rainier needed no vehicle reservation. Campsites and in-park lodges book up much earlier than entry does.

Are fee-free days free for Canadians?

No. Since 2026 the fee-free days apply to US residents only. Nonresidents pay the entrance fee and the nonresident fee as normal on those days.