National Park Fees
An Overview of Fees Charged in America's National Parks
Many national park units require a fee for entry. In most instances a
single fee applies to all occupants of a private vehicle. For
example, Yellowstone National Park charges $25 per private vehicle for an
entrance permit that is valid for seven days. Any number of trips in and
out of the park are permitted during the seven days the pass is valid. Individuals and families planning to visit several national
park units during a year should consider one of
the annual or lifetime passes offered by the National Park Service and other
federal agencies.
Additional information on these passes is found below.
In addition to
entrance fees, nearly all national park campgrounds levy camping fees that can
range up to $20 per site per night. Some tours and guided walks also entail fees. Fees have recently increased as many national park
units attempt to enhance revenues that can be utilized to help cover higher
operating costs and reduced federal funding. Even with increased fees, national parks remain one of America's great tourist bargains.
Entrance fees charged at approximately
one-third of the units administered by the National Park Service range from a
few dollars to $25, depending on the park. Many parks, including
California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Minnesota's Voyageurs
National Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway that winds through North Carolina and
Virginia do not charge an entrance fee Large, popular parks such as Grand Canyon
National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and
Yosemite National Park are each at the high end of the range. Less heavily
visited parks tend to charge lower fees. For example, Mesa Verde National
Park and Joshua Tree National Monument each charge $15, while Death Valley
National Park and Big Bend National Park charge $20. Everglades National Park
continues to charge an entrance fee of only $10. What a bargain! The fees
mentioned are charged per carload. Thus, a group of friends or family members
can enter by paying a single entrance fee so long as they
are in the same private vehicle. Commercial vehicles are charged using a different rate schedule.
Parks that charge by the vehicle typically apply a separate
fee schedule for individuals who enter via foot, bicycle, or tour bus. For
example, Grand Canyon National Park charges $25 per private vehicle or, for
someone entering on foot, motorcycle, or bicycle, $12 per person. Some
parks, generally those that must be entered on foot, levy a charge per visitor
rather than a vehicle charge. For example, Bent's Old Fort National Historic
Site charges $3 per person. Likewise, Cumberland Island National Seashore in
Georgia charges $4 per person in addition to the cost of the ferry trip from the
Georgia coastal village of St. Marys. Other National Park Service areas with a
per-person charge include Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument ($3), Fort Larned National Historic Site ($3), Grand Portage National Monument ($3), Martin
Van Buren National Historic Site ($5), Wupatki National Monument ($5),and
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site ($4).
Facilities without a private bath are generally less expensive and more easily reserved. The majority of national park lodges are owned by the government but operated by private firms under a lease arrangement. Room rates and food prices in these facilities are subject to oversight by the park superintendent in which a lodge is located. Some lodges, including Furnace Creek Inn and Glacier Park Lodge are owned by the companies that operate them. National park lodges often have relatively short seasons and are heavily used so reservations should be made well ahead of your planned arrival.
However, activities sometimes entail a nominal fee. In some instances the fee is charged for activities provided by a park concessionaire. Glacier Park, Inc., the concessionaire that operates all but one of the Glacier National Park lodges, offers a variety of park tours in the famous red "jammer" buses with prices ranging from $30 to $90 (less for children). Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the lodge concessionaire in Yellowstone National Park, offers similar tours of Yellowstone in vintage yellow buses. Admission is sometimes charged for entrance to a park facility or participation in a tour. For example, cave tours generally involve a fee. The NPS charges $8.50 for ranger-led cave tours at Oregon Caves National Monument. Likewise, ARAMARK Parks & Destinations, the concessionaire at Lake Powell Resort in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area charges a fee for the day-long boat tour to Rainbow Bridge. The same firm offers Glacier Bay tours and whale watching tours at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Fees are generally reduced for children (qualifying age varies by park) and, often, for holders of the two lifetime passes listed below.
When planning to visit several national park areas during a
single trip or taking several trips during a twelve-month period you may benefit
from purchasing an America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal
Recreational Lands Pass, also called an Interagency Pass, that provides access
for the pass holder and non-commercial vehicle passengers to all Federal
recreation sites that charge an entrance fee.
The $80 pass is valid for one year from the date of purchase.
Take your dream vacation around the 
Individuals
who
accumulate
at least
500
hours of
volunteer
work
(for
example,
serve as
a
campground
host)
are
eligible
to
receive
a free
Volunteer
Pass
that
conveys
privileges
similar
to the
America
the
Beautiful
Pass.
This
pass is
good for
one year
from the
date of
issue.
The 500
hours
can be
accrued
by
volunteering
on
federal
recreation
lands
managed
by the
National
Park
Service,
the
Bureau
of Land
Management,
the U.S.
Forest
Service,
the
Bureau
of
Reclamation,
or the
Fish and
Wildlife
Service.
The pass
is
issued
by the
Federal
Volunteer
Coordinator
who
authorizes
that a
volunteer
has
accrued
the
appropriate
number
of
volunteer
hours.
U.S.
citizens
and
permanent
residents
age 62
years
and
older
can take
advantage
of an
even
better
deal -
the
America
the
Beautiful
Senior
Pass
that
costs
only $10
and is
valid
for the
holder’s
lifetime.
In
addition
to free
entrance
for the
holder
and
passengers
in the
same
non-commercial
vehicle,
the
senior
pass
provides
a
50-percent
discount
on some
facility
charges
such as
interpretive
services
and
camping.
It does not qualify for discounts at national park lodging facilities.
The
senior
pass
must be
obtained
in
person
and applicants
must be
able to
prove
their
age with
a
document
such as
a
driver’s
license.
A
lifetime
pass
with
privileges
similar
to the
Senior
Pass is
available
without
charge
for
Comprehensive
information about all national park lodging facilities is available in The
Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges by David L. and Kay W. Scott.
The seventh edition of this book is published by the Globe Pequot Press and
retails for $18.95. It includes room rates, reservation information
including phone numbers and web sites, room recommendations, dining options and
costs, activities, maps, how to reduce expenses, color lodge and park photos,
and information about pets. The book is available from local bookstores or
online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. The cover photo is
Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
