Over the last year, numerous national parks have either raised prices or introduced fees where none had existed before.
Zion in Utah, Grand Teton in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain in Colorado are among some of the parks to raise entry prices in the last year while Grand Canyon in Arizona is currently asking the public for input on whether to raise the price of its campground fees from $18 to $30 for 2025.
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'Extensive public engagement led to the determination' to raise fees, National Park Service says
Joshua Tree in Southern California, which went through a similar period of public consultation last summer, has now formally raised prices at many of its campgrounds — in some cases by as much as 75%.
A spot for a vehicle at Belle, Hidden Valley and White Tank campgrounds has increased from $15 to $25 while Jumbo Rocks and Ryan now cost $30 instead of the previous $20.
Spots at Black Rock, Cottonwood and Indian Cove have increased from $25 to $35 — as they are located farther away from the popular areas at the park’s northwest edges, the 40% increase is among the lower ones.
"Extensive public engagement followed by NPS review led to the determination that the park's proposed updated campground and tour fees were comparable to fees charged by similar nearby campgrounds and tours," the National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement. "Joshua Tree National Park utilizes the majority of revenue collected through entrance and camping fees to provide visitor services and maintain public facilities such as campgrounds."
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On top of the campground fee increases, Joshua Tree is also raising the prices of its general amenity fees and spots at its First Come, First Served campgrounds on Jan. 1, 2025.
The amenity fee refers to a guided tour of the park's early settlement period in the Key’s Ranch area; the cost of the tour ranges depending on visitor age and will increase from $10 to $20 for general admission, $5 to $10 for children between the ages of six and 11 and introduce a $1 fee for children under the age of three.
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First Come, First Served refers to three Joshua Tree campgrounds that the NPS has specifically set out to remain available for whoever comes earlier on a given day.
For as long as there is empty space, visitors can simply park a vehicle and set up a tent at Hidden Valley, White Tank, and Belle campgrounds and then go to the entrance station to pay for its registration for the day.
The price of doing this will, however, increase from $15 to $25 per slot as of Jan. 1.
"If arriving after entrance stations close, payment may be delayed until the following morning," the NPS writes of the changes further. "Fee collection rangers may be available in the campgrounds as a convenience to visitors in the morning, but should not be relied upon as a primary means for site registration."
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