National Park Passes

Understanding National Park Entrance Fees

Grand Canyon National Park charges an entrance fee like most major national parks, currently $35 per private vehicle, valid for seven consecutive days at both the South Rim and North Rim. That fee funds trail maintenance, visitor services, and conservation work within the park, and it's separate from any camping, lodging, or tour costs you'll pay on top of it.

Because the South Rim and North Rim are technically the same national park rather than two separate ones, a single entrance receipt or pass covers admission to both, even though they sit roughly 215 miles apart by road and are rarely visited on the same trip. If your Arizona itinerary somehow includes both rims within the same week, there's no need to pay the entrance fee twice.

What surprises many first-time visitors is how many different passes exist to cover that fee, some free, some paid, each tied to a different eligibility group. Knowing which one applies to your situation before you arrive can save real money, especially if your Arizona trip includes more than one federal recreation site.

Entrance fees are set by the National Park Service and periodically adjusted, so it's always worth double-checking the current rate directly with the park before your visit, particularly if you're planning months in advance. The figures in this guide reflect current published rates, and while they don't change often, a quick confirmation costs nothing and avoids any surprise at the gate.

2026 Fees for International Visitors

Beginning January 1, 2026, Grand Canyon National Park charges non-U.S. residents age 16 and older an additional $100 per person nonresident fee. This fee is charged in addition to the regular park entrance fee and also applies to non-U.S. residents visiting Grand Canyon National Park as part of a commercial tour.

International visitors may instead use the $250 America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass. For guests traveling with a commercial tour, one $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the passholder plus three additional non-U.S. residents age 16 or older — four adults total. If five nonresident adults age 16+ are traveling together, the fifth adult is subject to an additional $100 nonresident fee. With six adults, the fifth and sixth adults are each subject to the additional $100 fee, and so on. Children age 15 and younger are not charged the nonresident fee.

These fees are established and collected under National Park Service rules and are separate from the Grand Canyon Journeys tour price.

Official NPS information on commercial tours and nonresident fees →

The America the Beautiful Annual Pass

From 2026 this pass comes in two versions. U.S. citizens and residents pay $80 for the America the Beautiful Resident Annual Pass. Non-U.S. residents pay $250 for the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass. Both cover entrance fees for the pass holder and accompanying passengers in a single private vehicle at every national park nationwide, plus federal recreation sites managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for a full year from the month of purchase.

For a Grand Canyon trip alone, the $80 resident pass pays for itself after a bit more than two visits at the standard $35 rate, which matters if your itinerary includes both the South Rim and a return trip, or a side visit to another federal site like Sunset Crater Volcano or Wupatki National Monument near Flagstaff.

The pass covers everyone traveling in the same private vehicle as the pass holder, up to the vehicle's legal passenger capacity, which makes it a particularly good value for families or groups road-tripping together rather than arriving in separate cars. It does not, however, transfer to a second vehicle arriving separately, so a group splitting into two cars will need either two passes or to plan arrival together.

Non-U.S. residents should read the section above on 2026 nonresident fees, which explains how the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass works on a commercial tour and how many adults it covers.

The Access Pass (Free, for Permanent Disability)

The Access Pass is a free, lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability, covering entrance fees at the Grand Canyon and other federal recreation sites nationwide. It can be obtained in person at any entrance station with documentation of the disability, or by mail through the U.S. Geological Survey for a small processing fee. Our Arizona Accessibility Guide covers planning an accessible Grand Canyon visit in much greater depth.

Acceptable documentation includes a statement from a licensed physician, proof of a federal disability benefit like Social Security Disability Insurance, or documentation from a state or federal agency confirming the disability. Because it's a lifetime pass rather than an annual one, it's genuinely worth obtaining even for a single trip if you qualify, since it will continue to work for every future visit to any federal recreation site without needing to be renewed or replaced.

The Senior Pass (62 and Older)

U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or older qualify for the Senior Pass, available as an $80 lifetime pass or a $20 annual pass, both covering the same entrance fees as the standard Annual Pass. For travelers who visit national parks only occasionally, the $20 annual option is the better value; frequent visitors or those planning future trips generally come out ahead with the one-time $80 lifetime version.

Proof of age and residency, such as a driver's license or passport, is required at the time of purchase, whether buying in person at an entrance station or through the mail. Like the Access Pass, the Senior Pass covers everyone traveling in the same vehicle as the pass holder, making it a strong option for multigenerational family trips where one grandparent qualifies and the rest of the group rides along in a single car.

The Military Pass (Free for Active Duty)

Current members of the U.S. military and their dependents can obtain a free annual Military Pass by showing a Common Access Card, dependent ID, or other qualifying identification at any federal recreation site entrance. It covers the same entrance fees as the paid Annual Pass and can be renewed each year at no cost for as long as the service member remains on active duty.

This pass extends to Reserve and National Guard members as well, not just full-time active duty personnel, and Gold Star Families also qualify for a version of this free pass. Because it must be renewed annually rather than being a lifetime pass like the Access Pass, it's worth requesting a new one each year before your trip rather than assuming a prior year's pass remains valid.

The Every Kid Outdoors Pass (Free for 4th Graders)

U.S. fourth-grade students can obtain a free annual pass covering their entire vehicle's entrance fee, available by completing a simple activity on the Every Kid Outdoors website and printing a voucher to exchange at any park entrance. It's a genuinely useful option for families visiting the Grand Canyon during the school year with a fourth grader along, and it's valid through the following school year's end.

The program is designed to be completed online in just a few minutes and doesn't require any proof of enrollment or homeschool documentation beyond the child confirming they're in fourth grade, making it one of the easiest passes on this list to obtain. Print the voucher before you travel, since some remote entrance stations have limited connectivity to verify it electronically on arrival.

The Volunteer Pass (Free for Service Hours)

Volunteers who complete 250 hours of service with federal land management agencies over any 12-month period earn a free Annual Pass as recognition. It's a smaller-audience option than the others on this list, but worth knowing about if you or a family member volunteers regularly with a federal recreation site or conservation organization.

Hours can be accumulated across multiple agencies and sites rather than needing to come from a single park, and volunteer coordinators at the Grand Canyon and elsewhere can confirm how your logged hours count toward the threshold. It's worth asking about this option directly if you're already involved in trail maintenance, visitor center staffing, or citizen science programs in Arizona.

Fee-Free Days

The National Park Service designates several fee-free days each year, typically including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first day of National Park Week in April, the Great American Outdoors Act anniversary in August, National Public Lands Day in September, and Veterans Day in November. On these dates, the Grand Canyon's entrance fee is waived entirely, regardless of which pass, if any, you hold.

Fee-free days tend to draw noticeably larger crowds than a typical visit, so while they're a nice way to save $35, they're worth weighing against the tradeoff of busier parking areas, shuttles, and viewpoints, particularly during already-popular seasons like spring break or fall.

Which Pass Is Right for You?

Pass	Cost	Who Qualifies	Validity
America the Beautiful Resident Annual	$80	U.S. citizens and residents	1 year from purchase month
America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual	$250	Non-U.S. residents	1 year from purchase month
Access Pass	Free	U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability	Lifetime
Senior Pass (Annual)	$20	U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62+	1 year
Senior Pass (Lifetime)	$80	U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62+	Lifetime
Military Pass	Free	Current U.S. military and dependents	1 year, renewable
Every Kid Outdoors	Free	U.S. 4th graders	Through following school year
Volunteer Pass	Free	250 volunteer hours	1 year
Single-Visit Grand Canyon Fee	$35/vehicle	Anyone; non-U.S. residents age 16+ may also owe the 2026 nonresident fee	7 consecutive days

For a single, one-time Grand Canyon visit with no other national park stops planned, simply paying the standard $35 entrance fee is often the simplest option — the various passes exist to save money for travelers who qualify for a free option or who'll visit more than twice in a year.

How and Where to Get Your Pass

Most passes can be purchased in advance through the official U.S. Geological Survey store, or obtained directly at any federal recreation site entrance station, including the Grand Canyon's South Entrance gate. Buying in advance online can save time at the entrance station because your pass is already purchased, but you may still wait in the normal vehicle line during busy periods.

Free passes requiring documentation, like the Access Pass or Military Pass, are typically easiest to obtain in person at the entrance station, where staff can verify eligibility on the spot, rather than through the mail-order process, which takes longer and involves an additional processing fee.

If you're arriving early in the morning or during a particularly busy season, purchasing your pass online before you travel removes one more step from the arrival process, letting you drive straight through the entrance gate with your pass or receipt ready to show rather than completing a transaction at the booth.

Common Pass Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake is buying a pass for a single Grand Canyon visit when the standard $35 entrance fee alone would have been cheaper — the Annual Pass only makes sense once you're visiting more than twice in a year or combining it with another federal site. The reverse mistake also happens: travelers paying the single-visit fee repeatedly across a multi-stop Arizona itinerary that would have justified the Annual Pass from the start.

Another frequent issue is arriving without the physical pass or proper photo ID for passes that require identification, like the Senior or Military Pass — a photo of the pass on your phone is generally not sufficient, since the physical card or paper pass is what park staff are trained to check. Keeping it in the glovebox or with your travel documents avoids a scramble at the gate.

What Passes Do and Don't Cover

Every pass on this list covers only the park's entrance fee for the pass holder's vehicle. None of them cover camping fees, backcountry permits, mule rides, guided tours, lodging, or concessioner services inside the park — those are separate costs charged directly by the park or its authorized operators. It's a common point of confusion for first-time visitors expecting a pass to function like an all-inclusive ticket.

Backcountry permits for overnight hikes below the rim, for instance, are issued and priced separately through the park's Backcountry Information Center, regardless of which entrance pass you're carrying. The same is true for the historic lodges: a room at El Tovar or Bright Angel Lodge is booked and paid for directly through the park's concessioner, entirely independent of your entrance pass.

Parking within the park is included as part of the entrance fee itself, not a separate charge, and passes cover multiple national parks if your Arizona itinerary extends beyond the Grand Canyon to sites like Petrified Forest National Park or Saguaro National Park near Tucson.

Also worth noting: the entrance fee and any pass covering it apply to the park itself, not to Arizona's separate state parks or to attractions on tribal land, such as Antelope Canyon or Monument Valley, which are operated independently by the Navajo Nation and charge their own separate admission regardless of any federal pass you carry.

Does Your Private Tour Already Include the Fee?

Grand Canyon Journeys handles the normal commercial park entrance arrangements for its tours, so guests don't need to purchase a separate pass or stop at a fee kiosk for standard admission. It's one of the small conveniences of a guided visit versus arranging entrance and transportation separately.

Beginning in 2026 the National Park Service charges non-U.S. residents age 16 and older an additional $100 per person nonresident fee. That fee is separate from the tour price and still applies unless the guest is covered by a qualifying pass. It is set and collected under National Park Service rules, not by us, so it isn't something we are able to waive or absorb.

If you already hold an Annual Pass, Senior Pass, or another qualifying pass from a previous trip, mention it when booking — some operators can adjust pricing accordingly since the entrance fee won't need to be collected again on your behalf.

For guests joining a tour that departs from Sedona, Flagstaff, or Williams, this also means one less thing to plan around on travel day: no separate stop at a fee kiosk, no searching for cash or a card at the gate, and no risk of a pass being misplaced between home and the trailhead. Your guide handles that piece of the day so the group's attention stays on the drive and the scenery leading up to the rim.

Guests planning a full-day South Rim visit can see what is included on our Private Grand Canyon Day Tour from Sedona.

Let Your Guide Handle the Entrance Details

A private guided tour takes the hassle out of the standard entrance process. Your guide handles the park entry details, but our vehicles enter through the same National Park entrance as other visitors and wait when there is a line. Once inside, you can focus on the Grand Canyon while your guide takes care of the logistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to enter the Grand Canyon?

The standard private vehicle entrance fee at Grand Canyon National Park is $35, valid for seven consecutive days at both the South and North Rims. Motorcycle entry is $30, and individuals entering on foot or bicycle pay $20.

Is the America the Beautiful Annual Pass worth it?

For U.S. citizens and residents, the America the Beautiful Resident Annual Pass costs $80 and can be a good value if you plan to visit several federal recreation sites within a year. Beginning in 2026, non-U.S. residents use the $250 America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass. At parks that charge per-person nonresident fees, including Grand Canyon commercial tour groups, the $250 pass covers the passholder plus three additional adults age 16 and older.

Who qualifies for the Senior Pass?

U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or older qualify for the Senior Pass, available as an $80 lifetime pass or a $20 annual pass, both covering entrance fees at national parks and federal recreation sites nationwide.

Is the Access Pass really free?

Yes. The Access Pass is a free, lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability, and it covers entrance fees at national parks and federal recreation sites nationwide with proper documentation.

Do active duty military get free park entry?

Yes. Current U.S. military members and their dependents can obtain a free annual Military Pass, valid at national parks and federal recreation sites nationwide, by showing a Common Access Card or other qualifying ID.

Does a park pass cover mule rides or guided tours?

No. Entrance passes cover only the park's entrance fee. Mule rides, guided tours, camping fees, and lodging are separate costs charged by park concessioners or outside operators and are not included with any entrance pass.

Can I buy a pass in advance online?

Yes, most passes can be purchased in advance through the official U.S. Geological Survey store, or at any federal recreation site entrance station, including Grand Canyon National Park's entrance gates.

Does my private tour already include the park entrance fee?

Grand Canyon Journeys handles the normal commercial park entrance arrangements for its tours, so guests don't need to buy a separate pass for standard admission. Beginning in 2026, non-U.S. residents age 16 and older are still subject to the separate National Park Service nonresident fee unless covered by a qualifying pass. That fee is set and collected by the National Park Service, so it is not something Grand Canyon Journeys is able to waive or absorb.

Continue Planning Your Trip

These guides go deeper into the destinations and logistics covered above.

Park Entry on Grand Canyon Journeys Tours

If you are touring with us, we handle the standard park entrance logistics as part of the tour. Our vehicles still enter through the normal National Park entrance and may wait in line during busy periods. The National Park Service nonresident fee introduced in 2026 for international guests age 16 and older is separate and still applies unless the guest is covered by a qualifying pass. Our tours departing Tusayan begin just two miles from the South Rim entrance, while guests in Sedona, Flagstaff and Williams are collected from their hotel door.

Related Guides

• ← Grand Canyon FAQ
• ← Grand Canyon for Seniors
• ← Arizona Accessibility Guide
• ← Arizona Travel Resources

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