Federal Government Policy and Business

National Park Service wants to sharply raise entry fees at most popular parks

The Guardian: The National Park Service is considering a steep increase in entrance fees at 17 of its most popular parks, mostly in the American west, to address a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects.

Visitors to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion and other national parks would be charged $70 per vehicle, up from the fee of $30 for a weekly pass. At others, the hike is nearly triple, from $25 to $70.

A 30-day public comment period opened Tuesday. The Park Service says it expects to raise $70m a year with the proposal at a time when national parks have been repeatedly breaking visitation records and putting a strain on park resources. Nearly 6 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year.

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