Entrance Fees to Grand Canyon and 16 Other Parks May Double
If you’re planning a trip to a National Park next year, you might want to consider going in the off season or buying an annual pass. The National Park Service is proposing a peak season entrance fee increase in 2018 to cover the costs of badly needed maintenance and infrastructure improvements. Only 17 parks would be affected, but the new $70 per vehicle or $30 per person entrance fee would more than double current admission costs at some parks. NPS is also proposing to increase the permit fees paid by commercial tour operators (which would be retained by the collecting park).
National Parks that would be impacted by the fee increase:
- Acadia
- Arches
- Bryce Canyon
- Canyonlands
- Denali
- Glacier
- Grand Canyon
- Grand Teton
- Joshua Tree
- Mount Rainier
- Olympic
- Rocky Mountain
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon
- Shenandoah
- Yellowstone
- Yosemite
- Zion
Peak season would vary by park, being defined as the “busiest contiguous five-month period of visitation.” 299 park sites will still remain free. You can comment on this proposal until November 23, 2017 via their website:Â https://parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedpeakseasonfeerates
Even if the higher fees are approved, there will still be ways to mitigate the increased costs.
- Avoid the peak seasons
- Go on one of the entrance fee-free days
- Get an annual pass to the individual park for only $75
- Get a discounted/free lifetime pass to all national parks
- Buy an America the Beautiful annual pass for only $80 to get access to all national parks
I’ve only been to a handful of the parks listed above, but the ones I have visited are definitely worth visiting even at the higher cost. If this is what it takes to ensure future generations have the same amazing experience, I’m not opposed.
Ripoff. The NPS needs to trim spending and waste first. They have become a bureaucracy of waste and spending. They will price out access for the average person.