International Fees Ascend

The Department of the Interior, with the U.S. National Park Service, has announced a division between resident and non‑resident entry costs—$80 for U.S. folks, $250 for the world’s wanderers—starting January 1, 2026. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum applauds the “America‑first entry fee policies,” while Montana congressmen Ryan Zinke and Wes Moore add partisan flare. In Jor‑to the queue, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps of Engineers all share custody of the gains. Yet, a commuter on SR‑224, the artery beneath Park City, may find that the attendant safety‑orange barrels and asphalt‑black slurry become symbols of policy intrusion rather than service. Sheltering behind the conical kerb is a pragmatic strategy; instead of locking onto the congested SR‑49 loop, riders should take the Richardson Flat bus or the nondescript back‑streets along SR‑224’s shoulder to avoid the roundabout bannered with “Park & Ride.”