National Park Service Considers Raising Entrance Fees At Top Parks to Pay for Maintenance Backlog

The fee to visit 17 popular national parks during a five-month peak season would rise to $70 per non-commercial passenger vehicle under a proposal being floated by the National Park Service. The parks include Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, and Zion in Utah; Grand Canyon in Arizona; and Rocky Mountain in Colorado. The Park Service says the change would generate some $70 million annually to pay for badly needed repairs to infrastructure such as roads, campgrounds, bathrooms and water lines. But the nonprofit Sierra Club condemned the proposed hikes. In a statement, a senior director with the environmental group, Lena Moffitt, said high entry fees will shut the public out of parks. She criticized Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for “opening doors for drilling and mining at the expense of everyone else.” The Park Service is taking public comments through November 23rd on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website. Written comments can be sent to 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop: 2346 Washington, DC 20240.