GRAND CANYON — Grand Canyon National Park is proposing an increase in entrance fees for the park. The single-vehicle entrance fee would change from $25 to $30 for a seven-day pass. The park’s annual pass would increase from $50 to $60. The current rate of $12 per individual or motorcycle would increase to $15 per individual and $25 for a motorcycle.
The current park entrance fees have been in place since 1997, when a seven day pass was increased from $20 to $25 per vehicle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, $25 in 1997 is the equivalent of $37.08 in 2014.
The additional revenue from the fee increase will be used to enhance visitor services, including repair and maintenance of park facilities, restoration and rehabilitation of visitor service buildings, additional park programs and transportation services, and increase resource protection. Examples of projects where fee revenue was used include the Bright Angel Trailhead renovation, the re-design of Mather Point, and the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. The park’s free shuttle bus system, projected to have 6.8 million boardings in 2014, is also funded by entrance fee income.
A 60-day public engagement period on the proposed fee increase is open from Nov. 7- Jan. 7, 2015. Feedback will be accepted via email and via U.S. Mail addressed to:
Grand Canyon National Park Attention: Proposed Fee Increase P.O. Box 129 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.The public is also invited to an open house at the 1899 Ballroom of the High Country Conference Center located at 201 West Butler Avenue, Flagstaff, Arizona, on Dec. 2, from 6-8 p.m.
Entrance fees are not charged to persons under 16 years of age or holders of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Senior, Access or Military Passes. These passes may be obtained at the park. Interagency Passes, which are honored at all federally-managed land units, are not affected by the proposed fee increase and will remain at $80 for the Interagency Annual Pass, $10 for the Senior Pass and free for the Access or Military passes.
Grand Canyon National Park is a strong economic engine for the surrounding area. In 2013, 4,564,841 visitors to Grand Canyon National Park spent $476,194.8 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 6,238 jobs in the local area.
Comments received during the 60-day public comment period will inform the agency’s decision on how or if a fee increase will be implemented.
Recap for giving public input
- Comment by email or by mail to U.S. Mail at: Grand Canyon National Park, Attention: Proposed Fee Increase P.O. Box 129 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.
- Public invited to open house, Dec. 2 from 6-8 p.m. at 1899 Ballroom of the High Country Conference Center, 201 West Butler Avenue, Flagstaff, Arizona
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They need to trim the “fat” from the “fat cat bureaucrats” at the canyon. Perhaps if they hadn’t wasted several million dollars in “studies” for an electric tram, before they found that APS couldn’t supply the electricity for it, and other major screw ups, they wouldn’t need to raise their entrance feels.
I kind of like those entrance “feels.”
Up until Bill Clinton, there was no charge to enter public places such as this. Taxes took care of the employees such as Rangers etc. including upkeep until too much money was given away to undeserving types. All infrastructure was built on our tax dollars and should be a benifit to Americans without added costs.
ARROWONE you’re full of it. National Parks have been charging entrance fees since at least the 1920’s. Any more facts you wanna pull out of your nether dark regions?
Actually the current legislation that allows Parks to charge entrance fees went into effect during Bush years.
They will raise the fees no matter what public opinion is. They will hire more Rangers to keep us in line, limit access to more parts of the Park, and threaten to close the Park entirely if we don’t agree. There is no win/win here. Every time I visit the Park I feel their heavy presence and it rubs me wrong.
How about lowering the fee and stop being so power hungry that you alienate the populace making it harder to get what you want?
There is a feeling among a lot of “parkies” that if they had their way, the public would NEVER be allowed into ANY of THEIR parks.
National POrk Service.
So BILLY MADISON needs to harness that high octane brain of his and help the NPS figure out how to host and manage 5 million visitors a year in the most rugged terrain in the lower US and an area the size of some eastern states after lowering the entrance fees.
.
$30 for 7 days in the finest country on God’s earth? Bargain of a lifetime! That’s the cost of lunch for two at Cafe Rio.
Just like when your St George city raises taxes, the first thing to look for is PAY RAISES and EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
Hey you forgot to mention the gas card a city loaner vehicle and free golfing and a free lunch at a designated restaurant