How much would you be OK with paying to visit national parks?/Canyonlands National Park vista, Rebecca Latson
How much is a national park visit worth to you? It's a question that floats to the surface from time to time when talk turns to the National Park Service's funding woes and nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog.
So, how much is too much? Instead of paying $25 or $30 per carload for a week in a park, would you be willing to pay, say, $25 or $35 per person in your car? Would you be OK with being charged a flat $100 per carload for seven days?
One-hundred-dollars per carload might seem expensive, but it also might still be a bargain, if you consider that in 1916 it cost $10 to enter Yellowstone National Park. If that $10 fee continued to rise annually with the rate of inflation, today the fee would be $244.
So, travelers, what maximum price would you place on visiting a national park? At what price point would you say, "Whoa, that's more than I can comfortably afford with my budget"?
Comments
The National Park's already belong to the people of the U.S. and should not be excessively charged. The cost of maintaining roads and local infrastructure should be the charge. I would anticipate $25 per vehicle.
We are not rich by any stretch, but we try to live frugally and save for meaningful things. Based on our budget, $150 per carload is about tops for us.
A fair price is equal to a family of 4 one day pass to The Magic Kingdom - approximately $400.00
I would pay more, especially if it helps with resource management. However; we all should share in the cost equally, No more discounts for seniors or military,etc. Also please limit the number of us coming in. The current allowances are hurting the resources, degrading facilities and changing the experience. One last thing be tougher on visitor misbehavior, I would pay more for that alone.
$25 per car for a day pass or $100 per car for a week seems fair to visit one of our national treasures! People pay far more for trivial possessions.
I think non-citizens should pay more since they don't pay our taxes. Not an illegal immigrant statement but when buses cart in 10,000 Japanese tourista a day for one bus fee, this trail traffic and sight congestion puts strain on the infrastructure.
I would like to see the daily admission increased to about $50, but also raise the annual pass from $80 to at least $150. That should reduce the traffic and raise revenue
I would be willing to pay $50-$75 entry fee .