If you were scrolling through socials this week and saw the new National Parks passes and said, “Is that really…?” – yeah, it’s real. The 2026 America the Beautiful National Park pass now features Donald Trump’s portrait alongside George Washington. For millions of us who go to the parks for peace, wonder, and honesty about our land’s history, this change hit like a punch in the gut. It’s an abomination how his face has taken over the beautiful spaces this administration has actively tried to destroy.
This feels like a political and personal branding of a space that is dedicated to the celebration of nature. A place that should be about: indigenous peoples, mountains, waterfalls, bears, pioneers, wildflowers, and trails is suddenly plastered with the face of a politician whose track record on public lands has been controversial at best.
There’s even a lawsuit now because the law governing these passes requires the main annual design to come from a public photo contest featuring America’s federal lands. For 2026 it was supposed to be an image of Glacier National Park but that was pushed aside for this portrait instead. Critics are honestly calling it ego over ecology.
And if that weren’t enough to stir up everyone who loves the parks, the free entry day lineup was changed too. Traditional fee-free holidays like Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth were removed and replaced with Donald Trump’s birthday (which is also Flag Day). It just feels like a slap in the face instead of the inclusive celebration of our public lands it should be.
Art Protest Stickers
The less-than-ideal park pass redesign has been met with less-than-ideal feelings, so people did what they always do when the official version doesn’t match reality – they improvised.
A Colorado artist, Jenny McCarty, a national parks fan, started selling $6 stickers with beautiful landscapes and wildlife, specifically to cover Trump’s face on the pass. I love it! People have been ordering them fast; not just for laughs, but because those original dramatic hikes and views are what these cards should mean, not a political portrait.
This alternative is creative and peaceful, and it actually helps the parks. All profits from the sticker sales are going to the National Park Foundation and the National Parks Conservation Association, so the sticker still gives back to the spaces we love. Note: Jenny McCarty has consulted and worked closely with a few parks to ensure the stickers do not invalidate the passes.
I’m Skipping the Pass and Paying at Each Park
As much as I love the sticker solution and want to support the artist and the parks individually, there have been other changes to the passes this year. Prices for passes are going up for international and non-resident visitors, who are a HUGE part of the National Park Service’s revenue. A park ranger was quoted saying frankly he wouldn’t buy a park pass themselves with that particular image and would just pay the entrance fee at each park instead to make sure the money goes directly where it belongs. This suggestion is great, we can help parks and alleviate some of the lost revenue of people skipping the pass altogether or skipping the US altogether.
Our National Parks are OURS! They are not billboards or an endorsement of anyone in the United States.
My Final Take
This change is not just politics. It’s about what national parks mean to us — connection, freedom, exploration, history, and pride in the natural world and in this country’s history. Turning the symbol of entry into a political portrait just feels wrong. This is an “America the Beautiful” card and all that it represents, not a Trump First pledge-of-fealty card. All around, the new card doesn’t feel very beautiful.
If I’m heading into Glacier or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park next year, I want my pass to remind me of the land’s beauty, not HIM. And until they change it back or the lawsuit is complete, I’ll happily pay at the gate and walk in feeling like I’m supporting who I came there to see; the places themselves.
