Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith’s first visit to the park he now oversees was when he was a 7-year-old boy in 1974. At that time, the park had about 500,000 visitors; in 2018, more than 3.1 visitors are expected to come to Joshua Tree National Park. Since that time, the park’s infrastructure hasn’t changed much. As of June 1, entrance fees into Joshua Tree National Park—and 116 other national parks—will increase. Smith said 80 percent of the entrance fees stay in the park where they are generated and will be used to make improvements to the park, such as a new visitor center at Cottonwood, a new entrance in Joshua Tree, redesigning Black Rock campground, a new campground near Sheep Pass, and maintaining Key’s Ranch.
Smith’s complete editorial:
It was the fall of 1974 when my family took our first trip to Jumbo Rocks campground in the heart of what was then Joshua Tree National Monument. For a seven year old boy, I had discovered paradise. There were boulders as far as the eye could see, snakes and tarantulas hiding in nooks and crannies, and the opportunity to explore the wilderness unhindered by parents and guardians. My cousins and I had the campground to ourselves—we could make forts under oak trees, climb up and over piles of rocks, and run pell-mell through the largely empty campground.
My family and the few other visitors in the park that weekend were benefiting from an amazing investment in public lands. Known as Mission 66, this decade long program was initiated by President Eisenhower 1956 in an effort to rebuild the nation’s parklands with the infrastructure, roads, campgrounds and employee housing that would meet the parks’ growing needs for decades to come.
Completed in 1966, it built the park system that I have grown to love for the last half century.
When I took that first trip to Joshua Tree those many years ago, I was part of exclusive group of desert rats who appreciated the wonder and beauty of Joshua Tree. Only about a half a million of us made the trek up into the park that year to take in the relatively clean air, beautiful vistas, and overwhelming solitude. What a difference a few decades have made. This year, we expect about 3.1 million visitors to make their way into the park. And when they arrive, they will see much of the same infrastructure that I enjoyed as a boy 44 years ago. Although we have tried to keep pace, time and a significant increase in visitation have taken their toll.
Last year, the Secretary of the Interior toured many of our park sites. He saw firsthand the deficiencies that our parks face. As a result, he directed Joshua Tree and 16 other popular National Parks to explore a significant increase in user fees to help make up for much of the deferred maintenance costs that have accumulated over the decades. The NPS received over 100,000 comments on that proposal. Based on that public input, the National Park Service developed a balanced plan that focuses on modest increases at all 117 parks that charge entrance fees as opposed to the larger increases proposed for 17 highly-visited national parks like Joshua Tree.
Beginning June 1, a seven-day entrance pass to Joshua Tree will increase by $5 to $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. An annual park pass will cost $55. The America the Beautiful Pass which allows entrance to all federal recreation sites will stay at $80.
At least 80 percent of entrance fees stay right here in the park and are devoted to projects that support the visitor. We share the other 20 percent of entry fee income with other national parks for their visitor needs. Over the next few years, these funds will be used to replace the trailer at Cottonwood with a modern visitor center that will properly serve the hundreds of thousands of visitors who use it every year. They will also be used to expand the entrance station to speed entry into the park. In the long-term, we are looking at a complete redesign of the Black Rock campground, the establishment of a new campground near Sheep Pass, and significant upkeep and restoration to Keys Ranch.
I live in the high desert and see the enormous effect this park has on the local economy. Visitors come from around the world to enjoy this crown jewel of the National Park Service. They also come with expectations that roads will be maintained, that trails will be adequately signed, and that visitor centers and restrooms are clean, up to date, and meet the public’s needs. This relatively modest increase will go a long way toward rebuilding our parks to the level that we expect.
User fees are one way that we help maintain our parks. As civil servants, our goal is to ensure that all of these special places are protected. We are also committed to seeing that everyone has a chance to enjoy them. There are a variety of different programs that help to reduce or eliminate the cost to enter parks. The Golden Access pass provides free access to parks for all disabled Americans. Similarly, all active duty military are eligible for free entry. The Golden Age Passport provides seniors with a lifelong pass to parks at a significantly reduced rate. This year, the NPS announced four fee free days that allow every American to enjoy the parks without entrance fees.
I was lucky enough to have parents who saw the importance of providing me with chances to enjoy wild places. By investing in our parks today, we are carrying on that tradition for future generations as well.
