Higher entrance, parking and campsite fees are something that visitors to the country's 63 national parks may or may not discover when driving up with the family this summer.
To deal with overcrowding and the degradation that comes as a result of it, parks like Zion in Utah and Grand Teton in Wyoming raised their entry prices for everything from individual vehicles to entry fees and camping spots. In many cases, an increase of $5 or $10 will only be observed by the most dedicated visitors at the park itself but each news release that the National Park Service (NPS) is raising prices is met with public discontent — particularly given the origin of the story of Theodore Roosevelt wanting to make the country's natural treasures accessible to all.
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In order to avoid such an unpleasant surprise to visitors, Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park is asking the public to weigh in on whether it should raise the price of its campground fees and certain tours for visitors.
This is by how much the NPS wants to raise campsite prices
The proposed increases include raising the cost of a vehicle spot in Belle Campground, White Tank Campground and Hidden Valley Campground from $15 to $25, Jumbo Rocks and Ryan campgrounds from $20 to $30 and the Sheep Pass Group Camp site from $40 to $55 among others. The NPS is proposing keeping the same $6 it charges those who want to backpack through the park for several days for the Wilderness Backpacking Permit.
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Presently free for children under the age of five, the Key Ranch Tour may soon cost $1 for the littlest ones and be raised from $5 to $10 for "youth" aged from six to 11 and from $10 to $20 for general admission (seniors and access pass holders may soon also see prices raised from $5 to $10.) If approved, the new prices would come into effect in January 2025.
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Complaints or opinions? Here is how you can weigh in
Between June 1 and 30, the general public can send in opinions on such a proposal either online or physically through the mail. According to the NPS, the raised prices are necessary to both maintain the quality of the campsites and be in line with what is charged by other parks. Zion is one national park that started charging $35 instead of $20 for visitors to stay at either its Watchman Campground or South Campground.
"Joshua Tree National Park strives to make overnight camping and interpretive tours memorable and enjoyable experiences," the government agency writes. "The Federal Lands and Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) authorizes the NPS to collect and retain revenue, in the form of entrance and amenity fees, and requires these funds to be used to enhance visitor experiences like camping and interpretive programs. This act also dictates that amenity fees at NPS units must be comparable to fees charged by other nearby service providers."
The comments that different members of the public leave behind are currently not made public but the NPS said that it will use them to make the final decision on whether to go forward with the increase or collect funds in another way.
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