It's going to cost a little more to hike in the backcountry of Canyonlands National Park/NPS
Beginning November 10, the cost of Fiery Furnace tickets in Arches National Park as well as backcountry and river permits in Canyonlands National Park will increase to help fund essential maintenance projects and staffing at the parks, the National Park Service said.
Arches:
Self-guided Fiery Furnace tickets will be $10 per person.
Ranger-led Fiery Furnace tickets prices will be $16 per person.
Canyonlands:
Backcountry permits will now require a $5 per person per night fee in addition to the $36 reservation fee.
River permits will require a $25 per person fee (an increase of $5) in addition to the $36 reservation fee.
The previously existing $36 reservation fee, which includes a $6 www.recreation.gov fee, will not change.
Ticket and permit fees provide critical funding for backcountry programs, facility maintenance and ranger-led tours. In addition, this funding helps maintain over 150 miles of backcountry roads, more than 100 miles of trails, 67 backcountry campsites, and multiple boats used for river patrols and emergency response, the park said in a release. Fees also support staff who provide information on the backcountry and rivers in-person, online, by email and telephone; engage in preventative search and rescue; monitor backcountry resource conditions; and manage permit reservations to maximize availability of campsites and permits. Together, these efforts help ensure backcountry resources and visitor experiences are protected.
Self-guided Fiery Furnace ticket fees have not increased since 1999, and ranger-led ticket fees have not increased since the early 2000s. Ticket fees go directly toward the cost of providing ranger-led and self-guided Fiery Furnace tours at the park. Backcountry fees in Canyonlands have not increased since 2011. Canyonlands has seen a 34 percent increase in overnight backcountry use and a 60 percent increase in overall park visitation since 2013, which has created the need for additional maintenance work and staffing.
In spring of 2021, the NPS solicited comments on these fee increases during a 30-day public comment period. The comments received demonstrated public support for the change, the park said.
Fiery Furnace permits are currently available seven days in advance on www.recreation.gov. Canyonlands backcountry permits for March 10 – June 9, 2022, will be available 8 a.m. MST November 10 and river permits for April 14 – October 15, 2022, will be available 8 a.m. MST December 14 on www.recreation.gov.
For more information on backcountry reservations or Fiery Furnace tours, please visit https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm and https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/fiery-furnace-hike.htm.
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Comments
"Self-guided Fiery Furnace ticket fees have not increased since 1999,"
Since these hikes are SELF GUIDED, what is the cost, or the increased cost since 1999, to the NPS/AHP?
Fee-creep is alive and well.
It's going to a bunch of different services. It's right in the release.
It seems that you're asserting that ANP is collecting increased fees from FF self-guiided tours to apply to other expenses (roads, trails, BC campsites etc.) that THOSE users should be funding. Is that right?
I object.
There are costs associated with visitor use of trails and facilities. Raising fees is one of the only effective tools that the NPS has in its arsenal to pay for maintenance and services that are offered. You can thank Congress for not providing enough money in the NPS budget to operate and maintain parks without use of fees. Maintenance needs are constant, even if you don't notice them. Just because it's self-guided doesn't mean there aren't expenses associated to using the park's infrastructure. With visitation unsustainably increasing across parks nationwide, parks need every penny they can get to make sure they can keep the park operating and looking good.
You did not understand my question. because you answered a different question.
My question was not about what ANP would do with the additional funds, it was, what were (or are) the increased costs associated with the SELF GUIDED FF tour?
You've stated the obvious of course. So why should users of the FF area (self-guided) subsidize hikers who head up to Delicate Arch (for example) and pay no fees for that hike? Understand?
It doesn't really. The Canyonlands NP release (they're operated jointly as the "Southeast Utah Group) indicates that backcountry permits go into a general fund, but that Fiery Furnace permit fees go back into providing that service. $10/$16 are more or less nominal fees. I doubt that they even covers the costs of the permit reservation system or the rangers to provide the tours.
National Fee Service. Charging you to use public lands for which you have already paid in taxes. Seems to be all they are good at any more. Here's an idea, charge non US citizens who don't pay taxes for use of these lands.