Entrance fees are climbing up at Pinnacles National Park/NPS

Come January 1, it will cost you a little bit more to enter Pinnacles National Park in California, unless you have your national parks pass on your person. Under the plan, the entrance fee for vehicles will increase $5, to $30. Motorcyclists can expect to pay $25, and an annual pass to Pinnacles will be priced at $55, also up $5 from current rates.

All of the money received from entrance fees remains with the National Park Service, with at least 80 percent of the revenue staying at Pinnacles National Park. Increased entrance fees will provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs to enhance the visitor experience.

In response to public comments on a fee proposal released in October 2017, there will be a modest increase for all entrance fee-charging parks, rather than the higher peak-season fees initially proposed only for 17 highly-visited national parks, park staff said in a release.

“Like many other national parks, Pinnacles is facing a substantial amount of deferred maintenance,” said acting Superintendent Gus Martinez. “The additional funds generated by this fee increase will go right back into the park, helping us to address critical infrastructure needs and enhance the visitor experience.”

National parks across the country have experienced record-breaking visitation, with more than 1.5 billion visitors in the last five years. Throughout the country, the combination of an aging infrastructure and increased visitation has put a strain on park roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services and led to an estimated $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog nationwide.

Pinnacles entrance fees have been used to fund such projects as the construction of the west side Prewett Point and Jawbone trails, and a new east side entrance station. Future projects include replacing the campground septic system and dump station and restoring the historic Bear Valley School.

Nationally, entrance fees collected by the Park Service totaled $199.9 million in Fiscal 2016, a park release said. The NPS estimates that once fully implemented, the new fee structure will increase annual entrance fee revenue by about $60 million.

The current rate of $25 per vehicle or $20 per motorcycle has been in effect since January 1, 2018. The park is one of 117 National Park Service sites that charges an entrance fee.

The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.

The National Park Service has a standardized entrance fee structure, composed of four groups based on park size and type. Pinnacles National Park is one of the sites in group 3. Some parks not yet aligned with the other parks in their category will raise their fees incrementally and fully incorporate the new entrance fee schedule by January 1, 2020.