The cost of visiting Joshua Tree National Park is about to go up–a lot. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced Tuesday that entrance fees to Joshua Tree and 16 other National Parks will increase dramatically during the parks’ peak seasons. For the national park in our back yard, the increase will be nearly two to four times the present fee between January and May, the park’s busiest time of year. The fee, which is currently $25 for a one-week pass for vehicles, will increase to $70. Likewise, the $12 fees for motorcycles and individuals on foot or bicycles will increase to $50 and $30, respectively. Annual passes to Joshua Tree National Park will also go up to $75; passes are $40 now. In a press release Zinke said the increase will “generate badly needed revenue for improvements to the aging infrastructure of national parks.” Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith said he expects between 2.8 million and 3 million visitors to the park this year; up from a record-high 2.5 million visitors last year. Smith said during off-peak months, the entrance fee will go back down to its lower levels. Smith urged residents to share their thoughts on the fee increase during a public comment period, which is open through November 23.
Written comments can be sent to:
National Park Service
Recreation Fee Program
1849 C Street, NW
Mail Stop: 2346
Washington, DC 20240
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/10-24-2017-fee-changes-proposal.htm
Parks affected by the fee increase:
Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Olympic, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks with peak season starting on May 1, 2018; in Acadia, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Shenandoah National Parks with peak season starting on June 1, 2018; and in Joshua Tree National Park as soon as practicable in 2018.
