A park ranger told me this weekend that the cost of an annual National Park Service pass was going up to $80 next month. Sure enough, the gov't had just issued a press release.

http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/061205.html

But anyone who thinks they'll need a pass can still buy one at the current $50 price that will be good through next December. I know AAA sells them (usually with a couple dollars off), and I know you can get them at nps.gov (not sure if there's a shipping fee).

It's been like forever since they've raised the price of the Pass, so it's hard to complain -- although I guess you could argue they should have done it more gradually. They are throwing in ALL federal fee areas for $80, which is an improvement (in recent years, you had to buy an additional $15 sticker if you happened to visit the few federal non-National Park fee areas, like BLM recreation areas or wildlife refuges). And with the cost of many indivdual park admissions now running $20 or $25/car, the savings for most Park-goers will still be substantial.

Thanks for the heads-up. The current pass can be ordered from http://buy.nationalparks.org for $50 + $3.95 shipping. You can also get the card personalized with your name.

You can also buy the pass at any park/monument/etc. that charges admission.

It is correct that if you just want access to the national parks the fee will be going up from $50 to $80; the $80 pass is an interagency pass equivalent to the former Golden Eagle Passport which was $65 - so . . . the cost is really only going up $15 for equivalent access.

Still a bargain IMHO

"The new program replaces the Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and the Golden Access Passports as well as the National Parks Pass."

Don't the Golden Age and Golden Access Passports get you a discount at some campgrounds? Will the new pass do away with that?

Hmmm...
I just pulled my Golden Access Passport out of my wallet - it has no expiration date and says "A Lifetime Admission Permit: Valid for the lifetime of the permittee." on the front. So I guess it expires when I do.

A Golden Access Passport gets you: "a 50% discount on use fees, e.g., camping and cave tours."

The yawning gap between costs for seniors and everyone else is a good example of what's politically wrong in Washington. Giving a lifetime pass for a one-time $15 vs. $50 (or $80) a year is hard to view as fair given the fact that many pass recipients can better afford the costs than ones who don't qualify.

It's all politics, as the lifetime pass was needed to buy off seniors who would have vehemently opposed the plans otherwise. One-time admission costs have jumped substantially ($20 at many places now that were $5 some years back). It's basically a backdoor tax increase targeted at the middle class - introduce something, call it a "user fee," then gradually raise it. All to lower taxes at the top (OTOH, the entire park service budget is a rounding error vs. Iraq). Republicans get scared if you can successfully label it a tax increase, but are just fine with rafts of "user fees" that hit the middle hardest (air travel being another classic case of that, and passport costs another).

With the Democrats I don't expect much change to the costs, but they should restore much of the public side of the funding and even put in more for land acquisition. That was one of Bill Clinton's pet areas.

agreed but believe there will be those who do complain.

The parks need the $$ so badly that I don't mind kicking in extra.

IIRC, if one purchases a pass at a particular park, extra monies from the pass purchase go towards the park where it was purchased. So if you have a park you frequent, purchase your pass there.

i wonder if there's any incentives for frequent visitors such as myself to get one if i intend to visit niagra falls and that national park in california.

I agree that it's unconscionable that Seniors pay $15 for life and everyone else pays $80 a year. Every study shows that, on average, seniors are the wealthiest group in America. And, of course, the seniors visiting our national parks are wealthier than average (think the RV set). Because they have the time, they also spend many more days in the Parks than your typical passholder.

Everyone knows this, of course, but just try taking away benefits from Seniors -- especially when you've given them a lifetime pass. It would be nice for someone to have some courage in this regard, however. Heck, I would suspect that a good percentage of the Seniors using the pass benefits are embarrassed by the obvious inequality. I would be.

Depends which national park here in California you plan to visit. We have several, and some are free and some have fees. We made 3 trips to Yosemite in 13 months and came out ahead with an annual pass.

Frankly, I think $80 for a year of the national parks should rank as the best bargain in America - go to just about any amusement park in the country, and 1 adult and 1 child will cost $100 to $150 for the day.

The money allocated for the infamous Alaskan $200M "Bridge To Nowhere" would of paid the salaries for a lotta USFS Park Rangers or for forest paths and picnic tables. Ditto for the daily cost of continuing to battle in Iraq etc. The National Parks are a wonderful treasure and should be enjoyed more.

MisterNice

Well, it's certainly one of the better ENTERTAINMENT values in America. For some reason, entertainment (unlike, say, goods) is expensive in America compared to many developed countries. It is a very good thing that most of our national treasures are in the government's hands so that everyone can enjoy them at a reasonable price. I'd hate to see the pricing on the Grand Canyon if it went "corporate"!