Orientation panel installed this year overlooking Valle Grande / NPS

Starting January 1, 2025, the National Park Service will reinstate entrance fees at Valles Caldera National Preserve. The park will keep 100% of the fees collected, using them for projects that directly enhance visitor experiences, such as improving roads, trails, and trailheads. As part of this update, the park will no longer charge separate fees for fishing. During a public comment period last summer, more than two-thirds of respondents supported bringing back the entrance fee.

The fee will cover seven consecutive days of access to Valles Caldera: $25 per vehicle, $15 per person, and $20 per motorcycle. Visitors can also purchase a $45 annual pass for Valles Caldera or use the America the Beautiful pass.

Superintendent Jorge Silva-Bañuelos highlighted the park’s progress in expanding access, improving trails, and offering educational programs, noting that the reinstated fees will allow the park to accelerate plans for even more enhancements to visitor services and recreational opportunities.

Entrance fees were initially paused in 2017 due to limited services at the newly established national park. Since then, Valles Caldera has expanded vehicle access by four miles to the historic cabin district, opened seven new pedestrian access points, improved park roads, and launched a backcountry vehicle reservation system. The park now offers over 100 programs annually, including fly-fishing clinics, ranger-led hikes, night sky events, and winter activities like skiing and snowshoeing on 16 miles of groomed trails. It has also introduced a junior ranger program and seasonal special events.

In the coming year, the park plans to construct new parking areas, install EV charging stations, create interpretive trails with updated signage, and develop a major new interactive exhibit. These projects will further enrich the visitor experience at Valles Caldera.