Here's how much you'll pay to visit our nearest national parks after fee hikes
The National Park Service backed off its proposal for drastic fee increases at some of America's most-visited national parks. Instead, fees will increase by smaller amounts across the 117 properties that charge for entry.
Most increases are $5 per vehicle and take effect June 1. They are projected to increase entrance fee revenue by $60 million per year — one way the National Park Service is trying to address an $11.6 billion maintenance backlog.
The plan was changed after a public input period. The original plan would have increased fees from $30 to $75 during peak visitation periods at many of the West's popular parks.
"Your input has helped us develop a balanced plan that focuses on modest increases at the 117 fee-charging parks as opposed to larger increases proposed for 17 highly-visited national parks," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a press release. "The $11.6 billion maintenance backlog isn’t going to be solved overnight and will require a multi-tiered approach as we work to provide badly needed revenue to repair infrastructure. This is just one of the ways we are carrying out our commitment to ensure that national parks remain world-class destinations that provide an excellent value for families from all income levels.”
National Park Service sites in Idaho, and their 2018 fees, include:
▪ City of Rocks National Reserve (Almo): No fee
▪ Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Arco): $20 per vehicle ($5 increase)
▪ Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (Hagerman): No fee
▪ Minidoka National Historic Site (Hagerman): No fee
▪ Nez Perce National Historical Park (a string of 38 sites across Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana; Idaho sites are in North Idaho): No fee
Some national parks in the region, their distance from Downtown Boise (via Google Maps) and the fee information:
▪ Grand Teton (Wyoming): 372 miles; $35 per vehicle ($5 increase)
▪ Crater Lake (Oregon): 400; $25 per vehicle ($10 increase; took effect May 13)
▪ Mount Rainier (Washington): 430; $30 per vehicle ($5 increase)
▪ Yellowstone (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho): 437; $35 per vehicle ($5 increase)
▪ Great Basin (Nevada): 455; no fee
▪ Lassen Volcanic (California): 502; $25 per vehicle but increases to $30 in 2019
▪ Glacier (Montana): 503; $35 per vehicle ($5 increase)
▪ Arches/Bryce Canyon/Capitol Reef/Canyonlands/Zion (Utah): 550-650; all will increase by $5 per vehicle
▪ North Cascades National Park (Washington): 553; no fee
This story was originally published May 16, 2018 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Here's how much you'll pay to visit our nearest national parks after fee hikes."