National Park Staff Are Asking About Citizenship Status. Here’s Why

Visitors who do not have a U.S. government-issued ID will be asked to purchase a nonresident annual pass.

Young visitors dash across Stoneman Meadow on Dec. 8 during a visit to Yosemite National Park. Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/TNS

By Karen Garcia Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES—If you’re planning to visit one of the 11 most popular national parks in the U.S.—two of which are in California—staff might ask a question that could be disquieting: Are you an American citizen?