While some national parks are free to anyone who drives far enough to get to them, the ones closer to major cities will often charge an entry fee or processing fee to secure a reservation during popular hours.
For those who want to explore the park for more than just a couple of hours, an overnight slot at a campground almost always comes at a price.
Yellowstone in Wyoming charges $20 to $90 depending on where the campsite is and whether it has a charging station and running water. California’s Yosemite has some tent areas charging $10 a person while parking a vehicle costs $35 to $40.
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Grand Canyon wants to lift camping fee
Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park charges an entrance fee of $20 for people arriving on foot and $35 per private vehicle on top of the $18 it costs to book a tent or RV spot at a campground.
It's now considering raising the price of the tent or RV campground spot by 67%, to $30, for 2025.
“Grand Canyon National Park collects campground fees from visitors for overnight stays,” the National Park Service writes regarding the proposal.
"...Under the Federal Lands and Recreation Enhancement Act, [the park] retains 80% of the recreation fees it collects. These fees are used in projects to improve the visitor experience, services, facilities and safety.”
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Not down with Grand Canyon fees? Weigh in.
The $18 fee has been the cost to stay at an RV site for just over two decades. If approved, the new fee would go into effect April 1.
Even if the new higher fee goes into effect, senior citizens and people who have the NPS cross-park Access Pass would pay only $15.
The National Park Service is currently asking the public to weigh in on the proposed change online between now and Dec. 15, 2024.
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The park service said the Grand Canyon recorded 159,019 overnight tent and 84,332 overnight RV stays in 2023 — a number that has been rising year after year and thereby straining park resources.
The Grand Canyon "is seeking public comment on proposed fee increases for standard tent and RV sites at Mather, Desert View and North Rim campgrounds,” the government agency in charge of the country’s 63 national parks wrote.
In the summer 2024 period Zion National Park in Utah also raised the fee for staying at the Watchman and South campgrounds 75%, to $35 a night from $20, as well as the cost of the electricity-free camping site Lava Point by 25%, to $25 a night from $20.
Zion Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh positioned the increases as “improv[ing] accessibility and visitor service."
"These changes are going to help us maintain essential facilities like restrooms and drinking-water systems, rehabilitate campsites, and simplify applications for Wilderness Recreation Permits," Bradybaugh said at the time.
Southern California's Joshua Tree is another national park that will be raising its reservation fees for 2025, doubling them to $20 for all except children under 11 years old.
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