National Park Prices to Spike in 2018

People who would like to visit the Grand Canyon in 2018 could pay upward of $70 per vehicle to enter the government owned park.The price hikes are the plans of the Interior Department in hopes of addressing current growing pains, 12 billion dollars worth, as rates of visitation continue to increase. However, as funding has been cut for the NPS, renovation and updates have been slow.

Department Secretary Ryan Zinke in an official statement said, “We need to have the vision to look at the future of our parks and take action in order to ensure that our grandkids’ grandkids will have the same if not better experience than we have today. Shoring up our parks’ aging infrastructure will do that.”

The price increase will only affect the high seasons (which start as early as May 1st) for the most popular parks, including Yosemite, Olympic, and Zion National Parks to name a few.

The public can comment on an open forum their opinion of the price hike here. Nature lovers have taken to social media as well to voice their thoughts.

Good News: Higher user fees will keep the riff raff out of our National Parks.
Bad News: You & I are the riff raff.

— Populo Iratus (@cmahar3) October 26, 2017

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I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ABOUT RAISING NATIONAL PARK PRICES. NATIONAL PARKS SHOULD NOT BE A PRIVILEGE.

— Mary M. (@lamaryanne) October 25, 2017

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If they rise the prices at National Parks people won’t go and it won’t matter in the end. This is what Zinkewants than he can sale off

— Kim (@Kime55) October 25, 2017

The public opinion forum closes on November 23rd, so get your comments in soon.

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