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FACT BRIEF

Do Native Americans get free entry to visit White Sands National Park?

By Brandy Ruiz
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NO

Members of federally recognized American Indian Tribes must have a paid entrance pass and may only enter national parks without paying an entry fee for non-recreational activities, according to the National Park Service.

The park service defines non-recreational activities as: First Amendment activities; research authorized by the park service; federal, state, tribal and local government business; religious, ceremonial or other traditional activities by members of American Indian Tribes; leaseholder and property owners accessing their property; and non-commercial educational outings by schools and academic institutions.

Standard passes are $15 per person to enter on foot or bicycle, $20 by motorcycle and $25 by private vehicle, the NPS website states.

White Sands National Park is located in Southern New Mexico and is 90 minutes from El Paso, Texas.

Federally recognized tribes include the New Mexico based Navajo Nation, Mescalero Apache Tribe, and the 19 Pueblo tribes.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Federal Register List of Federally Recognized Tribes
National Park Service Policy (U.S. National Park Service)
National Park Service Director’s Orders
National Park Service White Sands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.