A Phoenix-based company, Across Arizona Tours, is suing the federal government over the constitutionality of extra fees imposed on nonresident visitors to America’s national parks.
The suit, which names the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, alleges that the higher costs for international tourists have kept them away, financially hurting local businesses that cater to those customers, including the plaintiffs.
In July 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to increase the entrance fees for nonresidents to the country's most popular outdoor destinations, citing the need to address the maintenance backlog and to encourage international tourism.
That move has seemingly backfired, with international visitation at national parks
far below its usual numbers. But tourism companies say they are the ones that have borne the brunt.
“It is not a surprise that the outdoor recreation industry and tour companies that work with foreign visitors are rightfully upset,” said Aaron Weiss, the executive director of the advocacy group The Center for Western Priorities. The group isn’t involved in the lawsuit. “It is something that is significantly damaging to local communities and gateway towns, whose economies thrive on visitors coming to our national parks.”
Number of national park international tourists tanks
Trump’s executive order applies to 11 national parks: Grand Canyon, Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. Every non-U.S. resident over 16 is charged an additional $100 to enter. For example, an international couple driving through one of these national parks will have to pay as much as $235, which includes the standard entrance fees.
Starting Jan. 1 this year, tourists from overseas were required to pay $250 for the America the Beautiful Annual Pass. In comparison, the pass costs U.S. citizens and permanent residents $80.
Park-pass sales revenue surged in the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, owing to the increased price tags for international tourists. But visitation rates have cratered. Bookings by Canadian, Australian and British travelers have dropped by 40%, according to the outdoor travel agency Intrepid Travel.
The initial bump in sales is likely a front-loading effect, according to one hospitality professional, since tours are usually planned out months in advance and are inflexible to changes as the dates near.
The suit isn’t primarily intended to protest a burden borne by international tourists. Instead, it centers on the pains of the tourism companies from their absence.
Pacific Legal Foundation, the law firm representing the plaintiffs in the suit, said its client reported an immediate decline in business after the nonresident fees went into effect. Prospective customers from abroad have told the company that the new fees have made visiting the Grand Canyon State too expensive. Across Arizona Tours specializes in van tours to sites such as Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
The 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act authorizes public land agencies to set and collect recreation fees from visitors. The fees need “to be commensurate with benefits and services,” according to the act.
“International tourists have definitely been singled out here in a way that, we point out, is not commensurate with the benefits and services provided to them,” Haas said.
Pacific Legal Foundation is representing Across Arizona Tours free of charge.
“On the face of it, it seems like the the FLREA argument is pretty strong,” Weiss said of the suit.
If the Trump administration wants to create a nonresident pricing category, it would have to ask Congress to tweak the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which outlines the criteria for imposing fees.
The act also requires the secretaries of public land management agencies to solicit public comment before adjusting the fees, another requirement that Trump’s executive order failed to meet, Weiss pointed out.
A federal overreach, suit alleges
Pacific Legal Foundation is one of the oldest libertarian-leaning law firms in the country, and has been associated with conservative ideology. In the last few years, it has often challenged the federal government, in particular the Biden administration, on policies supported by environmental groups.
For instance, the firm successfully defended private property freedoms against Endangered Species Act restrictions and pushed for the enforcement of the Congressional Review Act to reexamine public land orders that disfavor mining.
“To see them stepping up here and suing Interior Secretary Burgum strikes me as quite a departure from Pacific Legal Foundation's usual bread and butter,” Weiss said.
But the firm's involvement sounds a greater alarm: “It's an indication of how hostile the Trump administration is towards small businesses and local economies — for it to be so bad that the Pacific Legal Foundation says this is this is harming commerce.”
Haas said the group is only doing its part to uphold the Constitution, rather than sticking with a particular ideology.
“We care about keeping the executive branch and presidents in line with the law, regardless of whether they're Republican or Democrat," he said.
The government has 60 days to respond to the complaint. The plaintiffs aren't seeking an injunction, so it could be only until next year before litigation gets underway and a judge rules on the legality of the nonresident park fees.
“We feel really confident about our chances of success. We've looked it over, we've reviewed the statute in detail, and we think that there's very little way for the government to press the argument that they have the authority to create higher entrance and annual pass fees for nonresidents at national parks,” Haas said. "We hope that a court will recognize that as well.”
Shi En Kim covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to shien.kim@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona tour company sues over Trump's nonresident national park fees
