Kittatinny is a hub for paddling and hiking activity in the summer months / NPS

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is proposing updates to its fee system and is asking for public feedback during a 30-day comment period starting December 16, 2024. The proposed changes include higher fees, a longer fee season, updates to the annual pass policy, and adding two new fee sites. If approved, the changes would take effect in April 2025.

Superintendent Doyle Sapp explained that the park's budget has remained flat in recent years while visitation has grown by 26% since 2019. Rising costs and aging infrastructure have increased the need for maintenance and upgrades. The current $10 amenity fee, set in 2015, now only covers about 67% of what it did back then due to inflation.

The proposed changes aim to address this funding gap and ensure the park can continue offering high-quality recreational opportunities while protecting its natural and cultural resources. The changes would include:

• Increasing the daily amenity fee from $10 to $20 per vehicle and extending the fee season by two weeks to end on November 1.
• Raising the annual pass cost from $45 to $60 and discontinuing discounts for multiple passes within a single household.
• Adding two new fee sites: Kittatinny Point (NJ) and Hialeah Picnic Area (PA). Day passes for these sites would be available through Recreation.gov or via drop boxes at the sites.

Park fees are collected under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), which allows parks to retain 80–100% of collected fees for projects that directly enhance visitor experiences, such as trail improvements, facility upgrades, and seasonal staffing.

Fee revenue has already funded significant projects, including restroom upgrades, river campsite improvements, and trail repairs, such as work on the McDade Recreational Trail and George W. Childs Park. If the proposed changes are approved, the park plans to hire additional seasonal staff, including custodians, trail workers, rangers, and safety personnel, while investing heavily in trail improvements, vegetation management, and facility upgrades like those planned for Milford Beach.

Over the next five years, approximately $800,000 in fee revenue will go toward trail enhancements across the park’s 150+ miles of trails, including popular routes like Toms Creek Trail, Cliff Park Trails, and Hornbecks Creek Trail in Pennsylvania, as well as the Van Campens Glen Trail, Military Road Trail, and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail in New Jersey.

The National Park Service is encouraging the public to weigh in on these changes. To provide an official comment, visit parkplanning.nps.gov/DEWAFees25 and click “Comment Now,” or mail your feedback to:
Superintendent Doyle Sapp
Attention: Fee Change Proposal
1978 River Road
Bushkill, PA 18324

The public comment period runs from December 16, 2024, to January 14, 2025. While comments submitted via email or social media are appreciated, only those received through the official channels will be part of the formal record.