Are you encountering more parks that don't take cash for entrance fees?/Kurt Repanshek file
As you travel the National Park System, are you finding more and more parks no longer accept cash for entrance fees or to purchase annual passes?
Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia back on July 1 went cashless, taking only "plastic" payment for entrance fees and park passes.
Is such a policy an inconvenience, or does it make your travels easier since you don't need to carry large sums of cash with you?
We've reached out to the National Park Service to see if this cashless policy is being phased in across the park system and will let you know what we hear.
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Comments
Going cashless is an unnecessary burden on the entrance station employees, who receive the brunt of the (even if few) unhappy visitors. Entrance station employees are the lowest graded employees in the park and most ignored by management. The money saved through this efficiency is lost on the grief leveled at employees. My guess is the cash only visitor will be let in for free rather than make them turn around and leave. Imagine a long line of cars and the person at the front with only cash holding everyone up while trying to negotiate a way into the park. Some people have a problem using credit responsibility and only use cash as a solution.
In an era where we are bombarded with "diversity, equity and inclusion" this seems a blantant move to exclude those in our society who can not qualify for credit or otherwise obtain a debit card for the mere convenience of the bureaucracy.
It is bad public policy for a US gov't agency not to accept US currency.
This is so they can remove manned entry kiosks. They will be replaced with automated gates like a parking garage. The war on the poor continues
The whole government is forcing the move to cashless. Much easier to track what you do it that way.
Fundamentally - How is it possible that a federal agency can refuse its own form of currency?
This decision is discriminatory and will have long-lasting impacts on our most marginalized populations.
This policy move completely undermines any "commitment" to equity, diversity, and inclusion they may tout.
Ripe for a lawsuit or act of Congress, IMO
Rocky Mountain National Park went cashless in 2022
I was at Olympic NP in mid-July of this year. The Heart of Hills visitors center was staffed with one cashier, who could not take cash, only cards. The card reader was very slow, and so several visitors trying to pay the entrance fee or for momentos were getting nowhere. The ranger facing the entryway was of no help because he was only offering information, and was directing everyone to the helpless cashier to pay the entry fee. He was of no help to anyone. A total cluster.
Later that week, we visited Stehekin in North Cascades NP. We were greeted by the bus tour lady at the landing, who swiped our card for payment on her portable card device. Stehekin has NO phone or cell service. During the tour, the bus tour lady spoke of several bridges that were damaged by high waters years before, that the NPS had not repaired (the NPS owns most of the Stehekin area), costing the locals (~80) untold revenue from tourists who wanted to travel or hike up the valley. There's an historic orchard and outbuildings that the NPS acquired (with the coveat that the story of the orchard would be maintained & told), that clearly was being neglected. If it were not for a non-profit, the orchard would have disappeared years ago.
The NPS is broken. If the NPS cannot take cash or process entry fees at a major visitor center--while a private tour bus lady can easily do so without any phone service miles from road's end-- then the NPS needs be reorganized by Congress.
The suggestion by the Jarvises to make the NPS independent agency is simply irresponsible.
Please continue to accept cash payments. After doing whatever is takes to arrive at a National Park, a visitor should not be greeted by an obstacle such as this.