Entrance fees at Rocky Mountain National Park are now only increasing by $5 instead of $40 after thousands of public comments opposed the price hike.
Back in November, we posted that the National Park Service had a proposal to increase the entrance fees from $30 per vehicle to $70. And after months of deliberation and thousands of public comments on the matter, a decision has been made. The fees are increasing, just not as much as we'd expected. In fact, it's not that much of a price jump at all. Instead of a $40 price hike, it's merely a $5 one. Beginning June 1, a seven-day pass for Rocky Mountain National Park will cost $35 and annual passes will cost $70. This $35 fee will also affect parks such as Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Mount Rainier, and Grand Teton, among others.
"I want to thank the American people who made their voices heard through the public comment process on the original fee proposal," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement by the National Park Service.
To view all of the national park entrance fees, click here.
Zinke said, "Every dollar spent to rebuild our parks will help bolster the gateway communities that rely on park visitation for economic vitality."
The extra funds will go toward park maintenance, including roads, bridges, campgrounds, and more. About 80 percent of the funds will stay within the park where they're collected while the remaining 20 percent will be for maintaining other national parks around the country, specifically ones that don't require an entrance fee.
What do you think? Are you happy with the new entrance fees for Rocky Mountain National Park? Is it a reasonable increase, or no? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and let's get the conversation started.
