Entry Fees At This NC National Park Are Going Up Soon

Entrance fees to popular national parks will rise this summer but the price increase will not be as dramatic as the Interior Department had originally proposed. The National Park Service says the changes include a $5 increase to most seven-day vehicle passes and more than two-thirds of national parks will remain free to enter.

The entrance fee increase applies to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The fee proposal introduced in October had a public comment period that ended in November, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the public's input helped the department to come up with a plan that focuses on modest increases at 117 parks. The October proposal would have dramatically increased entrance fees at 17 of the most popular national parks.

The NPS says the increase in entrance fees is needed to raise additional revenue to address the $11.6 billion in deferred maintenance across the parks system.

The changes will be implemented in many parks starting June 1, while some parks will see changes at different times. The NPS says all of the revenue from the fee increases will remain within the service and at least 80 percent of the money will stay in the park where it is collected.

The price of the annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass and Lifetime Senior Pass will remain $80.

At the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the park’s annual pass is currently $30 a year and per-person admission is $7. As of June 1, 2018, the pass will increase to $35 and the per-person admission will be $10.

Here's how prices at the most popular national parks will be changing:

Arches National Park, Utah

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $10, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $25

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $35, June 1, 2018: $40
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $10, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $25

Denali National Park, Alaska

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $40, TBD: $45
• Per Person — Current: $10, TBD: $15

Glacier National Park, Montana

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Olympic National Park, Washington

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $10, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $20, June 1, 2018: $25

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, California

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $60
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Yosemite National Park, California

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Zion National Park, Utah

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Acadia National Park, Maine

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $12, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $20, June 1, 2018: $25

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $10, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $20, June 1, 2018: $25

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $60, June 1, 2018: $70
• Per Vehicle —Current: $30, June 1, 2018: $35
• Per Person — Current: $15, June 1, 2018: $20
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $50, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $10, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $20, June 1, 2018: $25

Joshua Tree National Park, California

• Park-Specific Annual Pass — Current: $40, June 1, 2018: $55
• Per Vehicle —Current: $25, June 1, 2018: $30
• Per Person — Current: $12, June 1, 2018: $15
• Per Motorcycle — Current: $12, June 1, 2018: $25

You can see the full list of parks where prices are increasing here.

Original reporting by Patch Editor Feroze Dhanoa

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.