Entrance fees at Arches and Canyonlands national parks could soon be increasing/Kurt Repanshek
Entrance fees at Arches and Canyonlands national parks in Utah would more than double under a proposal open for public comment. Also targeted for an increase is the cost of touring the Fiery Furnace in Arches, whether with a ranger or by yourself.
The proposed increases are just the latest in the National Park System, where staff across the country have been working since early fall to raise fees, both to enter the parks and, in some cases, to enjoy some of their activities.
At Arches and Canyonlands, officials want to increase the current entrance fee of $10 per private vehicle for seven days to $25. Visitors entering on foot or bicycle would pay $10 under the proposed schedule, or double the existing fee. Arrive on your motorcycle and the fee could be $20, up from the current $5 charge.
Fees at Arches and Canyonlands have not increased since 1996.
Proposed Entrance Fee Rates
Type of Entrance Fee |
Current Fee |
Proposed Fee |
Private Vehicle |
$10/vehicle |
$25/vehicle |
Individual |
$5/person |
$10/person |
Motorcycle |
$5/person |
$20/motorcycle |
SEUG Annual Pass |
$25 |
$50 |
With the exception of the annual pass, all entrance passes are valid for up to seven days only at the park where they were purchased. The Southeast Utah Group (SEUG) Annual Pass allows the pass holder and those traveling with him/her in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle entrance to Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments.
Entrance Fees are not charged to persons under 16 years of age or to holders of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior, Access or Military Passes.
In addition, in order to encourage visitors to enter the park during less crowded times Arches National Park is proposing a trial, reduced (off-peak) entrance fee for private vehicles:
Type of Entrance Fee (Arches Only) |
Current Fee |
Proposed Fee |
Reduced (Off-Peak) Fee
|
Private Vehicle |
$10/vehicle |
$25/vehicle |
$10/vehicle |
Motorcycle |
$5/person |
$20/motorcycle |
$10/motorcycle |
Specific dates have not yet been targeted for such a trial.
Proposed Campground Fee Rates
Under the NPS initiative to standardize fees, nightly campsite fees would increase while group campsite fees would be determined based on a tiered/flat rate fee structure rather than the current minimum and/or reservation fee in addition to per person fees.
Campground |
Current Nightly Fee |
Proposed Nightly Fee |
|
Devils Garden (Arches) ' Standard
|
$20 |
$25 |
|
Juniper (Arches) - Group
|
$3/person
|
11-22 campers = $100 |
|
Canyon Wren (Arches) - Group
|
$3/person
|
11-16 campers = $75 |
|
Willow Flat (Canyonlands) ' Standard Island in the Sky District |
$10 |
$15 |
|
Squaw Flat (Canyonlands) ' Standard Needles District |
$15 |
$20 |
|
Squaw Flat (Canyonlands) ' Group Needles District |
$3/person + $30 reservation fee |
11-20 campers = $90 |
|
Wooden Shoe (Canyonlands) ' Group Needles District |
$3/person + $30 reservation fee
|
11-15 campers = $70 |
|
Split Top (Canyonlands) ' Group Needles District |
$3/person + $30 reservation fee |
11-15 campers = $70 |
Examples of projects recently completed at Arches that were made possible by fee money include repair of three and one-half miles of front country trails and the addition of vault toilets at Devils Garden trailhead. Parking at the popular Wolfe Ranch/Delicate Arch trailhead will be expanded this summer using fee funds. And, additional revenue raised by this fee increase would be used to create picnic facilities at overlooks and construct a bike path to connect the existing Moab Canyon bike path to Arches Visitor Center.
Projects completed at Canyonlands using fee revenues include replacement of the photovoltaic system at the Hans Flat ranger station and enhancement of backcountry river campsites, including the reduction of fire risk around them, by removal of exotic invasive tamarisk. Increased revenue would fund new exhibits at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, rehabilitate the Gooseberry Trail, and repair road shoulders along the Needles main road.
Proposed Fiery Furnace Fees
An analysis has determined that the costs of providing ranger-led Fiery Furnace tours and issuing permits for Fiery Furnace at Arches National Park have exceeded fee revenues.
The park is proposing an increase to ranger-led Fiery Furnace tours from $10 for adults (13 years and older) and $5 for children (5 to 12 years of age) to $16 for adults and $8 for children.
In addition, the park is proposing an increase to the cost of private permits for Fiery Furnace from $4 for adults (13 years and older), $2 for children (5 to 12 years of age), and $10 for the annual permit to $6 for adults, $3 for children, and $15 for the annual permit.
Both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are strong economic engines for the surrounding area. In 2013, more than 1.5 million park visitors contributed $146 million dollars to the local economy, and supported over 2,100 jobs related to tourism.
Comments regarding these fee increase proposals may be submitted electronically on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC)website.
If comments are not able to be made via the PEPC website they may be sent to: National Park Service, Southeast Utah Group, Attn: Planning and Compliance Coordinator, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd, Moab, Utah 84532. Faxed comments may be sent to (435) 719-2300.
Also, the park will host an Open House on January 29 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Grand Center located at 82 N. 500 W. in Moab, Utah. The public is invited to stop by any time between these hours to gather information, ask questions, and submit comments.
Feedback from these comments will determine how, or if, fee increases will be implemented.
Deadline for comments on the proposed fee increase is February 13.
In conjunction with the public meeting for proposed fee increases, staff at Arches National Park is seeking public feedback on vehicle congestion management planning for the park. Since 1989, the number of parking spaces at Arches National Park has increased 93 percent. Wolfe Ranch trailhead parking will increase by 110 percent this summer. However, visitation has increased more quickly than the number of available parking spaces. Arches staff is considering or has considered ideas for alleviating vehicle congestion such as:
- Construction of additional parking spaces and/or lots
- Creation of a reservation system for parking spaces
- Placement of parking lot attendants to help visitors park safely and appropriately
- Implementation of a shuttle system
- Encouraging visitors to enter the park during less crowded times by 1) offering a reduced entrance fee during off-peak hours or 2) creating a reservation system for entry during the busy season
Staff would like to talk with members of the public about these ideas, and is seeking other ideas that might help address parking problems.
Park staff will be available at the January 29 Open House to answer questions on both the fee increase proposal and congestion management issues.
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Comments
Arches, like Yosemite, will never be able to build enough parking lots or launch enough shuttles to meet the demand. Why are entry quotas not on their congestion mitigation list, when that is obviously the only real solution? Of course, that would mean cooling off that overheated 'economic engine'.
I was fortunate to enjoy this beautiful park in the Abbey era, before the road was paved. I certainly would not join the modern crowds.
Since the last fee increase in 1996 inflation has been a cumulative 50 percent.
Accordingly, the fee should be raised to $15.00.
How do the parks justify raising fees by 150 percent to $25.00?
These parks enjoy rising attendence which results in higher revenue and more efficient use of facilities.
Are they sayng they will provide 100 percent more services per customer than in 1996?
What am I missing?
Argle, perhaps it's because the fees were too low back in 1996.
Lee,
Under that circumstance, revenues yielding half of needful expenditures for 18 years, the effects would have been catastrophic long ago.
Sharp increases in patronage does not support that view. The fee increase notice also does not make the case. The work accomplished under existing revenue levels, while welcome, is not reflective of a 50 percent deficient income stream over almost two decades.
As to the future, these parks would receive some $7.2 million more per year under the new entry fee*.
I would think they could accomplish all of the work listed as supportive of the new fees in one year with $7.2 million. Plainly these are examples, not exhaustive. But if these are the main case, one wonders at the continuing need.
Perhaps the fee established in 1996 was deficient by some small percentage. Plainly inflation adjustments should occur more often.
But 150 percent?
No, I don't yet see it.
*My estimate: 1.8 million patrons/ 3 per car = 600,000 entries * $15 increase = $9 million - 20 percent for non revenue trips = $7.2 million.
The National Fee Service strikes again.
The devil is always in the details. It would be nice to see a breakdown and comparison of operating expenses and revenues throughout the park system including a breakdown of maintenance costs, salaries and benefits, capital improvement projects etc to see how parks compare and where the real costs are. Breaking out how much is spent on general administration support outside of the individual parks would likely be very interesting as well. I recall writing how I always felt good handing over my entrance fee when visiting the parks however these increases seem excessive. Being an outsider it’s hard to judge if they are necessary but higher fees also come with expectations for a better all around experience, be it crowd control, road conditions or facility cleanliness. I suspect those working in the parks will face somewhat less understanding visitors when things are not up to expectations. I'm more and more convinced the NPS needs to be broken up into more manageable business units. Seperating the parks from historic sites and monuments would seem to be a good place start.
For what it's worth, the fee to enter Galapagos National Park is $100 per person over the age of 12...
http://www.galapagospark.org/nophprg.php?page=programas_turismo_tributo