National Park Service Proposes to Raise Entrance Fees Across the Country

We agree that the Parks need more money to be managed sustainably and continue to offer high quality recreational opportunities. That money can come from fees or Congress. If the National Park Service were adequately funded, the imposition of higher entrance fees might be unnecessary. For that reason, we urge Congress to restore recent cuts to National Park Service funding. This is a smart investment in America’s $646 billion recreation industry, which supports 6.5 million jobs nationwide.

 

In our conversations with National Park Service leadership we have emphasized that if fees are increased, the public has expectations for a higher level of service. Currently we see situations where gates are closed during the peak paddling season or river access sites are not properly maintained. If fees are increased, it should come with improvements to public access.

 

For most National Parks, 80% of entrance fees are retained within the Park unit where they are collected. They are used for projects like trail and bridge repair, exhibits at visitor centers, operation of the wilderness information program, and other projects that benefit user experiences. The remaining 20% of fees are redistributed to other Parks that do not collect entrance fees. Director Jon Jarvis has said that the fee increase "will allow us to invest in the improvements necessary to provide the best possible park experience to our visitors." 

 

We encourage our members to evaluate these fee proposals and comment. You can also contact your member of Congress to highlight the importance of funding the National Park Service. We also encourage our members to comment on what improvements would enhance visitor experience for the activities you enjoy.

 

Since proposals for fee increases vary by Park, you must review the proposal for the Parks that most interest you and comment individually. To provide comment, go to the interactive map of Projects Open for Public Comment on the National Park Service Park Planning website. Click on the Park Unit of interest to you. You will notice that several Park Units have an open comment period for "National Park Proposes Entrance Fee Increases". Clicking the icon for a Park and selecting the entrance fee proposal link will take you to the comment page.