A tour company in the Grand Canyon is fighting higher entrance fees for international visitors.
Across Arizona Tours, a Phoenix-based van company, is bringing forward the case. The company is being represented free-of-charge by the libertarian public interest law firm, Pacific Legal Foundation.
Carole Stapleton, the owner, said she’s lost business because of the $100-per-person surcharge that international visitors face at the park entrance.
“We are already hearing from travelers who are reconsidering or eliminating the Grand Canyon from their itineraries because of the added cost,” she said in an emailed statement. “That hurts our business, our employees, and the many other Arizona businesses that depend on tourism.”
A couple visiting the Grand Canyon from abroad, for example, would need to pay $235, instead of the $35 entrance fee that’s typically charged per vehicle. In a legal filing, Stapleton said she spoke with 80 to 90 potential international customers who decided not to book with the company, most of whom indicated that the higher costs played a role.
The Trump Administration started the new fees for international visitors at the start of 2026, saying the policy “puts American families first.” The policy applied to 11 of the country’s most popular parks, including Rocky Mountain, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Glacier, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
Now, non-U.S. residents need to pay $100 per person to get into those parks, on top of regular entrance fees. Or they can buy a marked-up annual pass, going for $250 for non-residents, compared with $80 for residents.
Luke Wake, an attorney on the case with Pacific Legal Foundation, argues the National Park Service exceeded its legal authority in creating this separate fee structure for non-U.S. residents. He said Congress has allowed the Park Service to charge a general entrance fee.
“But they have not authorized them to charge different groups of people different kinds of fees,” he said. “They have not authorized them to charge non-residents higher fees than residents.”
Wake views this as part of a larger phenomenon of federal agencies overstepping the power lawmakers gave them.
“These agencies are essentially trying to stretch their statutory authority to the point they can do anything,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Interior Department responded to a question about the lawsuit via email.
“Thanks to President Donald J. Trump, U.S. residents, who already fund the National Park System through federal taxes, are continuing to enjoy affordable pricing, while foreign tourists are paying higher entrance fees to help maintain our parks and improve visitor experiences. This administration will continue to put American families first - making parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for future generations,” the statement said.
In a post on the platform X this summer, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the international fees had generated $20 million in the first six months of the year.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
